FROM   THE   LIBRARY   OF 
REV.    LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON,   D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED    BY   HIM   TO 

THE   LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY 


DltMdi       SCg 


&^i 


^^ 


le^y 


w 


SKETCHE 


MORAVIAN   LIFE 


CHARACTER 


A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  HISTORY,  LIFE,  CHARACTER, 
AND  RELIGIOUS  AND  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITU- 
TIONS OF  THE  UNITAS  FRATRUM. 


BY  JAMES   HENKY. 

MEMBER   OF    THE    MORAVIAN    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY,  AND    OF    THE 
HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    OF    PENNSYLVANIA. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

J.    B.    LIPPINCOTT    &    CO. 
1859. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

I.  Introduction 7 

II.  Toe  Ancient  Fnitas  Fratrum 14 

TIL  IIerrnhut 30 

IT.   ZlNZENDORF 59 

Y.  5 pang en berg,  or  Moeayianism  Illustrated 99 

VI.  The  Moravian  Cultus 125 

VII.  Christmas  Celebrations 155 

VIII.  Easter  Celebration  163 

IX.  Education  and  Schools 170 

X.  Nazareth  Hall 194 

XI.  Environs  of  Nazareth 212 

XII.  Ephrata 222 

X1TI.  Bethlehem 231 

XIV.  Music  at  Bethlehem  and  Nazareth 264 

XV.  The  Missionary  Enterprise 276 

XVI.  Social  and  Personal  Characteristics 296 

XVII.  William  Henry  Van  Vleck 306 


MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER, 


INTRODUCTION. 

In  presenting  a  picture  of  Moravian  life,  exem- 
plified by  certain  portions  of  its  history  and  biography, 
my  object  has  been  to  furnish  such  an  aesthetic  view  of 
the  subject  as  might  be  likely  to  draw  the  attention 
of  those  who  have  either  not  been  observers,  or  have 
formed  misconceptions  of  it. 

To  the  many  who  search  out  greatness  in  the  nu- 
merical strength,  eclat,  and  general  worldly  influence 
of  a  people,  it  may  appear,  a  matter  of  wonder  why 
the  Brethren's  Church  sfytiuild  be  at  all  deserving  of 
a  place  in  history;  since^he  space  it  occupies  in 
society  is  so  small,  the  influence  it  wields  so  unpopu- 
lar, and  the  decorations  of  its  exterior  worship  so 
little  in  accordance  with  the  sensuous  wants  of  the 
times  we  live  in,  as  well  as  of  all  time.  The  only 
answer  to  this  is,  that  the  existence  of  the  people 
called  United  Brethren  is  a  great  historical  fact,  in 
the  present  and  the  past.    Regarding  the  term  in  its 

2  (7) 


8  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

purest  sense,  it  is  certainly  one  of  the  oldest  Christian 
peoples  living  ;  and  it  will  be  my  aim  to  show  in  these 
Sketches  that,  though  almost  crushed  at  times  by 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  power,  it  was  never  annihi- 
lated. Its  great  age  and  its  remarkable  tenacity  of 
spiritual  life,  its  striking  powers  of  endurance  under 
the  hand  of  brute  force,  render  it  worthy  of  a  name, 
and  that  name  is  no  small  one  in  the  world's  his- 
tory. 

A  characteristic  trait  in  Moravianism,  old  as  well 
as  new,  has  been  its  entire  independence  of  all  the 
palpable  extraneous  aid  that  gives  the  dominant 
religions,  and  more  particularly  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith,  their  greatest  popular  strength.  In  early  times 
it  knew  but  little  of  churches;  the  old  Bohemians 
and  Moravians  were  wont  to  worship  in  secrecy, 
and  even  in  the  times  of  the  newly-arisen  church, 
the  sanctuary  was  a  place  of  no  architectural  at- 
traction, but  •  a  simple  room  in  some  appropriate 
dwelling. 

That  the  elements  of  this  Christian  people  could 
never  assimilate  with  the  great  worldly  element,  is, 
perhaps,  its  chosen  and  distinctive  feature;  the 
beauty  that  adorns  its  whole  historical  life.  All  its 
associations,  as  read  in  the  hymns  of  Zinzendorf,  and 
heard  in  the  tones  of  its  music,  are  unworldly  and 
distasteful  to  the  multitude;  and  hence  the  Brethren 
remained  a  small  Christian  family,  and  ever  will 
remain  such,  if  their  ritual  be  preserved  pure,  uncor- 
rupted,  and  savored  with  apostolic  simplicity. 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

Since  the  first  renewal  of  the  United  Brethren's 
Church  in  1722,  it  met  with  opposition  and  prejudice 
wherever  it  worked  its  way,  in  civilized  as  well  as 
uncivilized  society,  and  the  history  of  its  progress 
through  all  obstacles  forms  a  curious  as  well  as  an 
interesting  portion  of  the  biography  of  Zinzendorf 
and  his  compeers. 

The  works  which  have  emanated'  from  Moravian 
minds  are  quite  numerous,  and  relate  to  doctrines, 
synods,  general  Moravian  history,  memoirs  of  eminent 
men,  sermons,  hymns,  essays,  missions,  and,  occasion- 
ally, a  religious  fiction.  The  larger  proportion  of 
these  writings  are  the  production  of  German  Bre- 
thren; some  very  important  ones  are  English,  and  a 
few  American. 

In  reference  to  the  opposition  met  with  by  the  Re- 
newed Brethren's  Church1 1  would  add  that  numerous 
writers  have  appeared  from  time  to  time,  sending 
their  shafts  of  censure  and  misinterpretation  against 
it,  and  covering  with  obloquy  the  simple  institu- 
tions that  grew  up  in  Herrnhut.  The  works  of  the 
enemy  form  quite  a  little  library  in  the  archives 
of  that  place,  and  are  carefully  preserved  by  our 
people  themselves ;  while  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
same  apartment  are  ranged  all  those  volumes  that 
were  written  in  their  defence  or  commendation. 

All  this  literature,  for  and -against  Moravianism, 
had  its  origin  in  a  country  where  thought  is  active, 
and  the  human  mind  unfathomable ; — where  reason 
and  faith  are  diverging  to  opposite  extremes.    While 


10  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

the  former  is  seen  to  cast  off  all  the  hopes  and  as- 
pirations that  foreshadow  an  unseen  world,  renting 
asunder  man's  relations  with  an  endless  life,  and 
making  his  emotional  being  only  subservient  to  the 
purposes  of  his  sensual  existence,  the  latter  enters 
more  deeply  into  religion,  thinks  more  intensely  upon 
and  within  it,  and  calls  out  more  of  its  essential 
beauty,  than  the  faith  of  any  other  country  on  earth 
is  capable  of  conceiving. 

Zinzendorf  was  not  the  first  to  pave  the  way  for 
an  evangelical  church,  such  as  his  institutions  pre- 
sented to  the  world,  for  Spener  and  Franke  went 
before  him.  The  former  was  born  in  1685,  and  died 
in  1705.  His  theatre  of  action  was  chiefly  at  Frank- 
fort-on-the-Main ;  he  carried  his  doctrines  among  all 
classes,  amid  the  cottages  of  the  peasant  and  the 
palaces  of  the  noble.  He  wrote  the  "Pia  Desi- 
deria;"  and  Zinzendorfs  eulogy  upon  him  was, 
"  Spener  was  a  child  of  God,  and  this  was  more  than 
all  his  other  gifts,  his  learning  and  his  high  offices." 

Franke,  a  student  of  Spener's,  was  born  in  1662, 
was  formed  in  his  school  of  religious  thought,  and 
received  an  appointment  in  the  University  of  Halle. 
There,  with  seven  guilders,  he  commenced  an  orphan- 
house,  out  of  which  grew  up  the  world-renowned 
Orphanotrophy  of  Halle.  His  favorite  motto  was, 
"  Pray  and  labor;"  and  his  popularity  spread  through- 
out Germany.     He  died  in  1727. 

At  the  time  of  his  own  appearance  there,  Zinzen- 
dorf found  Germany  and  other  parts  of  Europe  favor- 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

able  to  the  reception  of  his  simple  doctrines;  and 
most  of  the  opposition  to  him  seems  to  have  been 
grounded  upon  information  about  him  and  the  com- 
munity at  Herrnhut,  conveyed  through  improper  chan- 
nels. His  whole  scheme  was  so  original,  the  new  cha- 
racter assumed  by  the  nobleman  in  descending  from 
titles  and  estates  to  pursue  life  among  all  men  pro- 
miscuously, in  forsaking  the  gayeties  of  a  court  and 
going  back  to  the  apostolic  age  for  his  ideal  of  a 
modern  association,  formed  so  strange  a  phenome- 
non, that  many  doubted  the  rationality  of  the  whole 
proceeding. 

But  notwithstanding  all  the  writing  to  which  this 
new  and  singular  spectacle  gave  rise,  Moravianism 
grew  apace;  Germany,  Denmark,  Switzerland,  Eng- 
land and  America  welcomed  and  adopted  it,  not 
among  indiscriminate  masses  in  cities,  but  generally 
in  villages  built  up  by  its  own  people,  and  used  as 
their  exclusive  dwelling-places. 

In  the  Sketches  of  Moravian  life  itself,  as  given  in 
the  following  pages,  much  has  reference  to  the  past, 
as,  in  consonance  with  a  new  order  of  things,  new 
men,  and  new  ideas,  we  are  willing  that  a  great  deal 
that  was  old  and  long  cherished  should  become  obso- 
lete, and  that  life  should  come  up  under  new  forms. 

In  our  European  congregations  our  Brethren  are 
more  tenacious  of  their  birth-right;  they  have  for- 
saken little  they  once  possessed,  and  live  in  isolated 
villages ;  but  whether  the  infection  of  European  so- 
ciety and  all  its  social  dangers  is  destined  to  invade 

2* 


12  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

them  at  some  future  day,  it  is  not  in  my  province  to 
predict.  Zinzendorf  himself  never  saw  such  a  distant 
future  before  him,  when  he  planted  his  standard  in 
Lusatia,  and  sung,  that  "as  long  as  it  remained  held 
within  the  bonds  of  love,  as  long  as  the  work  of  its 
Master  was  unmolested,  so  long  should  Herrnhut 
firmly  stand:" 

"Herrnhut  soil  nicht  langer  stehen 
Als  die  Werke  deiner  Hand 
Ungehindert  drinnen  gehen 
Und  die  Liebe  sey  sein  Band,"  etc. 

He  then  would  scarcely  have  conceived  that  the 
influences  and  practices  instituted  around  the  Hut- 
berg  were  to  extend  among  200,000  people,  as  our 
statistics  inform  us  they  do  at  the  present  day. 

From  our  own  stand-point  in  society  it  is  pleasant 
to  look  back  upon  the  scenes  of  which  I  have  here 
attempted  some  feeble  outlines.  It  may  justly  be 
said  that  Paris  and  its  influences  govern  the  whole 
civilized  world.  In  this,  our  favored  country,  all  the 
corruptions,  the  superficial  tone,  the  attire,  the  seduc- 
tions and  the  glare  of  society  take  their  impress  from 
the  centre  of  what  is  falsely  termed  refinement,  and 
in  placing  this  refinement  side  by  side  with  that  of 
the  older  Moravian,  we  shall  discover  the  emptiness 
of  a  materialistic  life  and  the  never-fading  beauty  of 
an  inner  one. 

But  in  doing  away  with  old  things,  that  have  once 
been  rooted  in  the  affections  of  man,  we  seldom  see 
them  utterly  destroyed.     Obsolete  forms  are  always 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

coming  up  again,  old  costumes  are  adapted  and  ap- 
plied to  the  tastes  of  the  age,  and  many  antique 
models  of  architecture  are  resuscitated.  The  games 
of  the  youth  of  many  generations  gone  by  are  the 
games  of  the  living,  and  the  songs  of  the  past  are 
sung  over  again.  In  the  history  of  the  human  heart 
and  the  clothing  of  its  affections  there  is  no  pro- 
gress, and  we  cannot  tear  it  away  from  its  old 
images  without  finding  it  recurring  to  them  again. 

The  hardest  struggle  man  has  to  encounter  is  with 
the  world  as  it  is,  and  the  highest  point  of  moral 
power  he  can  ever  attain  to,  is  to  be  emancipated 
from  all  its  influences  and  think  for  himself.  Firmly 
stationed  on  that  pedestal  of  original  thought,  his 
teachings  reach  far  into  futurity,  and  he  is  felt  long 
after  those  who  had  opposed  him  have  become  for- 
gotten and  unknown.  The  sentiment  applies  to 
Zinzendorf,  both  as  an  apostle  and  an  original 
thinker;  as  to  one  endowed  with  Christian  zeal, 
and  persisting  in  independence  of  thought.  As  a 
man  classed  among  the  worldly  great,  but  not  in 
the  same  category  with  human  greatness  in  its 
outer  brilliancy,  he  is  still  known  in  Germany,  for 
his  marble  statue  stands  in  the  Valhalla  of  Bavaria. 


II. 

THE  ANCIENT  UNITAS  FRATRUM. 

In  extending  our  researches  into  the  obscurity  of 
the  Old  Brethren's  Church,  we  shall  find  that  Bohe- 
mia and  Moravia  formed  the  ground  of  its  develop- 
ment and  greatest  activity. 

The  inhabitants  of  that  portion  of  Europe  were, 
perhaps,  more  tenacious  of  their  religious  faith  than 
any  other  cotemporary  races,  and  all  the  vicissitudes 
that  distinguish  their  annals,  all  their  wars  and  per- 
secutions, arose  from  that  remarkable  spiritual  prin- 
ciple which  inspired  them  throughout  the  long, 
slowly  advancing  centuries  of  that  medieval  period 
of  modern  history.  These  peoples  claimed  an  an- 
cestry from  the  Sclavonic  nations,  among  whom 
Christianity  had  found  its  way  during  some  of  the 
first  centuries,  but  left  no  visible  fruits  until  about 
the  ninth  century,  which  is  regarded  as  the  great 
epoch  of  conversion  among  them. 

It  was  then  that  we  hear  of  two  Greek  monks, 
Cyrillus  and  Methodius,  entering,  with  the  inculca- 
tions of  Christ  in  their  apostolic  purity,  into  Bohemia 
and  Moravia,  although,  as  just  observed,  Christianity 
(14) 


THE   ANCIENT   UNITAS   FRATRUM.  15 

had  found  access  there  at  a  much  more  remote  day. 
After  their  appearance,  all  those  divisions  of  the 
church  which  had  fallen  off  from  their  allegiance  to 
the  Roman  See  joined  the  newly-converted  Scla- 
vonic races;  but  its  inquisitorial  power  was  soon  at 
work,  and  took  hasty  and  decisive  steps  to  counter- 
act the  defection  and  show  its  opposition  to  the 
spread  of  the  Greek  faith  by  edicts,  persecution, 
and  imprisonment. 

The  Bohemians  and  Moravians  became,  thence- 
forth, the  marked  objects  of  papal  rancor;  but  it  is 
a  notable  circumstance  in  the  annals  of  these  Chris- 
tians, that  no  political  or  hierarchical  authority  could 
ever  crush  them  or  force  them  to  renounce  the  forms 
of  belief  and  worship  that  had  their  foundation  in 
the  authentic  scriptural  records  which  they  sacredly 
preserved. 

As  early  as  the  tejift  century,  Pope  John  XIII. 
had  compelled  the  Bohemians  and  Moravians  to  ex- 
change the  Greek  for  the  Latin  worship,  but  this 
compulsion  was  only  of  transient  effect,  and  they 
soon  shook  off  their  new  creed.  Persecution  now 
assailed  them  in  its  greatest  virulence,  but  they 
encountered  it  with  a  degree  of  heroism  that  cha- 
racterized them  up  to  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  soon  after  which  we  find  their  last  rem- 
•nants  emigrating  to  Lusatia  and  loining  Zinzen- 
dorf. 

Prague  was  made  the  seat  of  a  Roman  episcopacy, 


16  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

Dithmar,  of  Magdeburg,  installed  as  bishop,  and  the 
Roman  liturgy  introduced.  The  Bohemians  sent 
deputies  to  Rome  in  the  year  077,  desiring  the  use 
of  their  native  language  in  religious  services.  This 
they  were  permitted  to  enjoy  in  some  small  degree 
only,  and  finally,  when  it  was  interdicted,  a  large 
portion  of  them  fell  off  from  Romanism  and  wor- 
shiped in  private.  Pope  Gregory  VII.  or  Hilde- 
brand,  at  the  close  of  the  eleventh  century,  issued 
a  severe  edict  against  them,  which  was  supported 
by  force;  and  this  forms  the  point  in  their  history 
which  was  most  distinguished  by  papal  oppression, 
and  where  the  scenes  of  unmitigated  cruelty  are  most 
plainly  visible. 

The  Church  of  Rome  became  sensibly  more  and 
more  degenerate,  and  as  it  departed  from  the  pure 
faith  of.  the  apostolic  times  into  the  mazes  of  error, 
the  Sclavonic  people  shrunk  within  their  homes 
and  made  their  sanctuaries  in  secret  places.  Their 
days  of  oppression  lasted  through  the  lapse  of 
more  than  a  century;  they  restricted  themselves, 
during  all  this  gloomy  period,  to  their  own  Greek 
forms  and  rituals  as  well  as  they  could ;  but  new 
dangers  now  presented  themselves  before  them  in 
the  shape  of  corruption  in  their  internal  constitution 
and  practices.  From  this  jeopardy  they  seem  to 
have  been  rescued  by  a  remarkable  providential  in- 
terposition, which  was  a  union  with  several  new  co- 
temporary  Christian   sects,   who  came  hither  from 


THE   ANCIENT    UNITAfl   FRATRUM.  17 

different  quarters  of  Europe  and  espoused  their 
cause.  For  now  the  Waldenses,  a  pure  and  primi- 
tive people,  made  their  appearance  in  Bohemia, 
(Anno  1176.)  settled  along  the  borders  of  the  Eger, 
and  soon  became  united  in  friendly  and  religious 
communion  with  the  Bohemians  and  Moravians. 
Their  early  history  is  involved  in  uncertainty,  some 
dating  their  origin  in  the  eighth  or  ninth  century, 
while  others  seek  for  it  long  prior  to  that  time. 
They  inhabited  the  valleys  of  Piedmont  and  France, 
and  received  their  appellation  either  from  Peter 
Waldo  or  from  their  being  Yaldesi,  or  inhabitants 
of  the  valley. 

The  Waldenses  are  looked  upon  as  the  earliest 
champions  of  Christian  truth,  but  its  advocacy 
brought  upon  them  the  most  relentless  persecu- 
tion, followed,  during  the  thirteenth  century,  by 
numerous  cases  of  martyrdom.  But,  notwithstand- 
ing this,  they  spread,  and  though  during  the  ascend- 
ency of  the  Bohemians  and  Moravians  they  dwindled 
into  a  small  band  of  people,  their  descendants  are 
found  to  this  day  in  the  valleys  of  Piedmont,  Swit- 
zerland, and  Southern  France.  They  traced  their 
episcopal  ordination  to  the  Apostles,  and  when  they 
arrived  in  Bohemia  they  found  their  doctrines  and 
practices  to  assimilate  with  those  of  the  uncorrupted 
Christians  of  that  country.  During  the  fourteenth 
century  the  Wickliffites  made  their  appearance  on 
the  stage  of  chureh  history,  and  they,  like  all  other 


18  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

reformers,  had  to  endure  the  enmity,  reproach,  and 
tortures  of  papal  intolerance  and  power.  It  is  not 
probable  that  John  Wickliffe  went  personally  to  Bo- 
hemia, but  it  is  known  that  his  followers  emigrated 
thither,  circulated  his  writings  and  doctrines,  and 
finally,  merged  into  the  Brethren's  Church. 

The  Hussites  sprung  from  the  Bohemian,  John 
Huss,  professor  of  an  academy,  and,  in  1400,  its 
preacher  in  Prague,  who  was  uniform  in  his  doc- 
trines and  professions  with  his  predecessors,  the 
Waldenses  and  Wickliffites.  In  consequence  of  the 
fearlessness  he  showed  in  promulgating  evangelical 
truths,  the  imprecations,  threats,  and  denunciations 
of  Rome  were  showered  upon  him.  He  traveled, 
under  the  feigned  protection  of  the  Emperor  Sigis- 
mund,  to  Constance,  to  appear  before  the  council, 
where  he  was  condemned  as  a  heretic,  and  on  the 
sixth  of  July,  1415,  surrendered  his  life  at  the 
stake,  with  that  remarkable  equanimity  which  has 
rendered  his  name  one  of  the  most  prominent  in  the 
history  of  martyrdom.  The  result  of  this  sacrifice 
was  the  war  of  the  Hussites,  commenced  by  the  re- 
bellious Bohemians,  under  their  leader  Zisca,  or 
John  of  Trautenau,  and  continued  ten  years  after 
his  death. 

A  portion  of  these  Bohemians  contended  chiefly 
for  the  restoration  of  the  sacramental  chalice,  and 
were  thence  called  Calixtines ;  the  more  quiet  and 
prudent  of  them,  however,  held  their  meetings  upon 
a  mountain,  to  which  Zisca  gave  the  name  of  Mount 


THE   ANCIENT    UNITAS   FRATRUM.  19 

Tabor,  whence  they  derived  the  appellation  of  Ta- 
borites. 

During  the  whole  time  of  their  association  with 
these  various  sects,  the  Bohemians  and  Moravians 
remained  the  object  of  odium  to  the  Church  of 
Rome,  and  its  emissaries  were  ever  at  work  to  re- 
duce them  to  obedience,  or  entice  them  to  the  ob- 
servance of  its  own  worship  and  to  renounce  their 
purer  faith.  But  although  they  could  not  emanci- 
pate themselves  from  this  reign  of  spiritual  oppres- 
sion, still  they  conducted  their  worship  in  secret 
places,  and  often  in  caves,  whence  they  obtained  the 
name  of  "Speluncales,"  until,  finally,  in  the  middle 
of  the  fifteenth  century,  King  George  Podiebrad 
showed  them  so  much  leniency  as  to  permit  them 
to  settle  in  the  Principality  of  Litiz,  on  the  borders 
of  Moravia ;  and,  in  the  year  1456,  they  formed 
themselves  into  the  association  of  the  Unitas  Fra- 
trum,  at  Kunewald.  Their  security  here  was  but 
short-lived,  for  in  a  few  years  afterwards  King 
Podiebrad  himself  sanctioned  a  violent  persecution 
against  them,  in  which  the  Calixtine  priests  and 
the  Romish  clergy  were  implicated.  The  Brethren 
were  expelled  from  their  villages,  many  were  im- 
prisoned, and  others  driven  to  the  stake.  But,  not- 
withstanding all  this,  they  met  together  in  solitudes, 
enacted  new  regulations,  and  their  government  was 
entrusted  to  elders,  who  were  chosen  by  ballot. 
They  increased  in  numbers,  received  accessions  from 
among  the  most  distinguished  Pohemians  and  Mora- 

3 


20  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

vians,  as  well  as  from  strangers,  and  even  held  synods 
among  the  recesses  of  the  mountains. 

In  the  year  1467  a  deputation  from  the  Bohemian 
and  Moravian  Brethren  met  in  synod  at  Lhota,  con- 
sisting  of  seventy  of  the  most  reputable  of  their 
people.  Nine  of  these,  of  the  most  undoubted  cha- 
racter, were  chosen,  from  among  whom  three  were 
selected  by  lot  to  constitute  their  priests  and  spirit- 
ual advisers.  These  three  men  were  Matthias  of 
Kunewald,  Thomas  Przelaucius,  and  Elias  Kreno- 
vius.  Having,  in  a  subsequent  synod,  discussed  the 
question  whether  the  elders,  who  were  called  pres- 
byters among  the  Apostles  and  early  Christians, 
could  perform  the  office  of  ordination  as  well  as  the 
bishops,  it  was  decided  that  such  a  rule  was,  in  all 
respects,  conformable  to  the  example  of  the  primi- 
tive church  and  to  the  writings  of  the  early  fathers. 
They  reasoned  upon  this  authority  that  their  pres- 
byters might,  very  properly,  administer  the  rites 
of  ordination;  but,  in  order  to  meet  all  the  objec- 
tions of  their  opponents,  they  decided  upon  seek- 
ing episcopal  ordination  from  some  pure  source, 
and,  accordingly,  turned  their  attention  to  the  Wal- 
denses,  whose  history  showed  an  uninterrupted  line 
of  episcopacy  connected  with  that  of  apostolic 
times. 

The  Waldenses  still  had  their  churches  and  bishops 
in  Austria,  and  our  Brethren  decided  upon  sending 
thither  three  of  their  priests,  one  of  whom  was 
Michael  Bradacius,  to  receive  this  sacred  anointment 


THE  ANCIENT   UNITAS   FRATRUM.  21 

from  the  last  remaining  of  the  Waldensian  bishops, 
Stephen.  He  hailed  the  Brethren  with  warmth,  re- 
joiced to  hear  of  the  Christian  life  among  them, 
presented  them  in  detail  the  whole  history  of  his 
church,  its  long  array  of  bishops,  and  then  imparted 
to  the  three  men  the  rite  of  episcopal  ordination. 

Hardly  a  year  had  elapsed  after  this  event  before 
the  Brethren  were  again  assailed  by  their  enemies. 
Their  friends,  the  Waldenses,  had  passed  through 
an  equally  severe  ordeal  in  Austria,  and  their  bishop, 
Stephen,  who  had  been  the  instrument  of  transmit- 
ting the  episcopacy  to  the  Brethren,  and  thence  to 
our  present  church,  was  burned,  and  his  people 
scattered  in  dismay.  The  prisons  of  Bohemia  were 
filled  with  the  devoted  victims  of  our  ancient  church, 
where  many  were  starved  to  death,  and  other  equal 
horrors  imposed  upon  them. 

The  Bohemian  crown  now  descending  upon  the 
head  of  Wladislaus  of  Poland,  a  prince  of  mild  dis- 
position, the  Brethren  were  allowed  an  opportunity 
of  recovering  their  lost  privileges,  and  once  more 
enjoying  their  religion,  and  they  were  so  far  restored 
to  comparative  ease  and  security,  that  in  the  year 
1500  they  numbered  two  hundred  congregations  in 
Bohemia  and  Moravia. 

In  1508  the  Bohemian  king  was  prevailed  upon  by 
the  Roman  clergy  to  sign  an  edict  against  the  Bre- 
thren, with  that  subserviency  which  other  potentates 
had  shown  to  the  power  of  Rome,  for  scarcely  had 
he  closed  the  transaction  than  he  fell  on  his  knees, 


22  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

in  the  presence  of  the  bishops  who  had  led  him  into 
its  performance,  and  prayed  to  God  that  the  edict 
might  not  be  fulfilled.  The  scenes  of  former  years, 
however,  followed ;  the  Bohemians  were  martyred 
and  burned ;  they  fasted  and  prayed,  and,  finally, 
turned  their  thoughts  toward  forsaking  their  country 
altogether.  With  this  view  they  decided  that  four 
of  their  number  should  depart,  separately,  into 
foreign  lands,  on  the  errand  of  seeking  out  a  new 
people,  who  were  living  in  the  practice  of  a  pure 
faith,  and  knew  the  true  God,  with  whom  they  might 
join  themselves.  The  first  member  of  this  little 
embassy  proceeded  to  Greece,  the  second  to  Russia, 
the  third  to  Thrace  and  Bulgaria,  and  the  fourth  to 
Palestine  and  Egypt.  When  these  men  returned 
home,  they  reported  to  their  countrymen  that  the 
people  they  had  sought  could  nowhere  be  found ; 
that  the  world,  as  they  had  everywhere  beheld  it, 
was  corrupt  and  fallen,  and  the  so-called  Christians 
sunk  in  superstition. 

They  next  sent  messengers  in  search  of  the  Wal- 
denses,  hoping  to  find  some  remnant  of  these  in 
France  and  elsewhere,  with  whom  they  might  pos- 
sibly form  a  renewed  friendship  and  communion. 
But  of  the  Waldenses  a  mere  handful  was  found  still 
existing,  in  scattered  abides,  and  the  Brethren  had 
to  resign  themselves  to  their  forlorn  condition,  and 
pray  for  the  coming  of  some  great  reformer,  whose 
name  might  be  the  signal  of  a  general  regeneration 
of  the  Christian  church. 


THE   ANCIENT    UNITAS   FRATRUM.  23 

During  that  time  the  art  of  printing  added  its 
facilities  to  the  publication  and  dissemination  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  the  Bohemian  Brethren,  who  had 
translated  them  into  their  own  language,  issued  the 
Bible  in  Venice,  which  went  through  two  subsequent 
editions  in  Nuremberg.  They,  at  the  same  time, 
opened  a  correspondence  with  Erasmus,  of  Rotter- 
dam, who  ratified  all  they  had  written  and  spoken 
in  self-defence,  but  advised  them  to  proceed  in  their 
worship  in  quiet  and  reserve ;  he  commended  them 
for  giving  one  another  the  appellation  of  brother 
and  sister,  admonished  them  to  show  less  obedience 
to  their  preachers  than  to  the  Word  of  God,  and 
put  more  trust  in  Him  than  in  men. 

A  century  had  now  elapsed  since  John  Huss  had 
uttered  the  remarkable  prophecy  to  his  persecutors : 
"  In  one  hundred  years,  ye  shall  account  to  God  and 
to  me  for  what  ye  are  now  doing,"  when  Luther 
arose  in  1517,  and  attacked  the  errors  of  the  ruling 
church  by  an  exposure  of  all  its  notorious  abuses. 
The  advent  of  Luther  was  nowhere  so  gladly  wel- 
comed as  among  the  down-trodden  Bohemian  and 
Moravian  Brethren.  They  sent  up  their  prayers  to 
heaven  at  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  rescue  from 
thraldom  and  from  the  tortures  of  a  bigoted  and 
relentless  enemy.  In  1522  they  deputed  John  Horn 
and  Michael  Weiss  to  wait  upon  Luther  to  bring  him 
their  kindly  greetings,  and  congratulate  him  upon 
the  great  work  he  had  assumed;  to  assure  him  of 
their  co-operation  in  it,  and  uniting  with  this  as- 


24      MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

surance  the  hope  that  the  light  of  the  true  gospel 
might  soon  cast  its  refulgence  over  the  nations  of 
Europe.  Luther's  response  -was  couched  in  the  most 
friendly  terms;  he  acknowledged  the  sincerity  and 
earnestness  of  their  love  of  the  truth,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  felt  himself  animated  by  such  a  noble 
example  as  their  history  and  vicissitudes  presented. 

Both  Luther  and  his  coadjutor,  Melanchthon,  pre- 
served the  most  amicable  relations  with  the  Unitas 
Fratrum,  corresponded  with  them,  received  their  re- 
peated deputations,  deliberated  with  them  on  church 
discipline  and  new  reforms,  the  accomplishment  of 
which  was  only  frustrated  by  the  termination  of  his 
heroic  career.  Before  his  death,  the  great  reformer 
left  a  concise  and  expressive  testimony  in  favor  of 
the  United  Brethren  in  these  memorable  words: 
"Since  the  times  of  the  Apostles  no  people  have 
appeared  who  have  made  a  nearer  approach  to  them 
in  faith  and  practice  than  the  Bohemian  Brethren. 
Although  these  Brethren  do  not  excel  us  in  purity 
of  doctrine,  since  every  point  of  our  creed  proceeds 
from  the  scriptural  source,  yet  they  are  our  superiors 
in  church  discipline,  which  dispenses  the  blessings  of 
good  government  to  their  congregations ;  an  acknow- 
ledgment which  the  love  of  truth  and  the  glory  of 
God  exact  from  us." 

Although  the  era  of  the  Reformation  had  opened 
so  promisingly  to  the  United  Brethren,  they  never 
realized  the  fulfillment  of  the  hopes  they  had  con- 
ceived in  the  appearance  of- Luther. 


THE  ANCIENT  UNITAS  FRATRUM.       25 

Their  churches  were  again  closed  under  the  perse- 
cutions of  government,  and  they  were  commanded 
either  to  unite  themselves  with  the  Church  of  Rome 
or  forsake  their  country.  In  this  extremity  some 
joined  the  Calixtines,  a  few  concealed  themselves  or 
dispersed  in  various  directions,  but  the  greater  por- 
tion fled  to  Poland.  Here  their  stay  lasted  but  ten 
weeks,  and  they  were  once  more  driven  out  of  the 
land,  and  fled  to  Prussia,  where  their  creed  under- 
went examination,  and  being  found  to  correspond 
with  all  the  articles  of  the  Augsburg  Confession, 
a  number  of  towns  were  offered  for  their  shelter  and 
protection.  Their  exile  here  lasted  until  the  mild 
government  of  Maximilian  enabled  them  to  enjoy  their 
religion  in  their  own  country  again,  where  we  find 
them  once  more  reinstated  and  holding  synods  in 
the  year  1557,  and  in  1564  all  their  churches  in 
Bohemia  and  Moravia  were  reopened  for  their  use. 

They  now  entered  upon  the  task  of  a  new  transla- 
tion of  the  Bible  into  the  Bohemian  language,  and  to 
effect  this  the  more  carefully  and  accurately,  they 
sent  students  to  the  Universities  of  Wittemberg  and 
Basle  to  learn  the  original  languages.  They  esta- 
blished a  press  for  the  special  purpose  of  its  publica- 
tion, and  after  fourteen  years  assiduous  application, 
completed  the  Bohemian  version,  which  afterwards 
went  through  several  editions. 

At  the  dawn  of  the  seventeenth  century  the  clouds 
of  oppression  once  more  lowered  around  the  Brethren, 
and,  in  1627,  hundreds  of  nobles  and  burghers  were 


26  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

forced  to  flee  their  country,  and  take  refuge  in 
Saxony,  Silesia,  Brandenburg,  Poland,  Prussia,  Hun- 
gary, and  elsewhere,  and  such  as  were  not  able  to 
emigrate,  remained  the  passive  victims  of  papal  ty- 
ranny, although  no  force  or  torture  could  drive  them 
into  its  worship  or  allegiance. 

From  this  date  all  evangelical  religion  seems  to 
have  been  swept  out  of  Bohemia  and  Moravia,  and 
all  their  schools  and  churches  were  permanently 
closed.  Every  Bible  that  could  be  found,  and  all 
writings  that  tended  to  the  diffusion  of  its  doctrine, 
were  industriously  sought  out  and  burned,  and,  by 
that  striking  perversion  of  the  spirit  and  tendencies 
of  Christ's  mission  on  earth,  which  rendered  hier- 
archical power  so  baneful  to  Europe,  the  lives  and 
prosperity  of  thousands  of  exemplary  and  excellent 
men  became  a  sacrifice. 

Among  those  unfortunate  exiles,  the  voice  of  one 
was  heard  to  raise  up  in  prayer  during  this  hour  of 
gloom,  beseeching  God  to  come  to  their  rescue  and 
restore  to  them  their  homes. 

"We  are  orphans  and  are  fatherless.  Men  perse- 
cute us;  we  labor  and  we  have  no  rest.  Servants 
have  ruled  over  us ;  there  is  none  that  doth  deliver  us 
out  of  their  hand.  The  joy  of  our  heart  has  ceased; 
our  dance  is  turned  into  mourning.  But  Thou,  0 
Lord,  remainest  forever,  and  Thy  throne  endureth. 
,from  generation  to  generation.  Wherefore  dost 
Thou  forget  us  forever,  and  forsake  us  for  so  long  a 
time?     Lead  us  back  to  Thee  again,  so  that  we  may 


THE   ANCIENT   UNITAS   FRATRUM.  27 

again  return  home.  Renew  our  days,  as  of  old." 
(Lam.  v.) 

This  Jeremiad  proceeded  from  the  lips  of  Amos 
Comenius,  who  was  born  at  Canna,  in  Moravia,  in 
1592.  He  studied  at  Herborn,  and,  in  1614,  returned 
home  to  his  native  country,  and  became  a  rector  of 
the  schools  of  Przerow,  and  distinguished  himself 
ever  afterwards  for  his  profound  knowledge  in  educa- 
tional science.  He  was  appointed  pastor  of  the 
Unitas  Fratrum  at  Fulneck,  and  assumed  the  super- 
intendence of  its  schools.  In  1621  this  town  was 
made  a  prey  to  the  ravages  of  war,  and  the  valuable 
library  of  Comenius  plundered  by  the  Spaniards. 
In  1624,  when  the  edict  was  issued  against  all 
evangelical  preachers  of  Bohemia  and  Moravia,  Co- 
menius took  refuge  in  the  mountains,  and  found  pro- 
tection under  the  Baron  of  Slaupna,  during  which 
time  he  instructed  his  children. 

Some  years  afterwards  he  was  obliged  to  escape 
with  a  portion  of  his  congregation  to  Lissa,  in  Poland, 
where  he  continued  his  labors  of  instruction.  In 
1631  he  published  his  famous  work,  "  Janua  lingua- 
rum  reserata,"  which  was  translated  into  the  Ger- 
man, Polish,  Bohemian,  Greek,  English,  French, 
Italian,  Spanish,  Dutch,  Arabic,  Turkish,  Persian, 
and  Mongolian  languages.  In  1638  his  fame 
elicited  for  him  an  invitation  to  visit  Sweden,  to 
reform  its  school  system;  he  concluded,  however, 
to  decline  it,  sending  his  advice  and  views  on 
the   subject   to   his   friends   in   that    country.      In 


28      MORAVIAN  LIFE  AXD  CHARACTER. 

1<U1  he  received  similar  proposals  from  England, 
whither  he  actually  went;  but  his  plans  for  put- 
ting any  new  reforms  into  execution  were  frustrated 
by  the  civil  war  then  prevailing.  In  1042  he  went 
to  Sweden,  and,  rendering  valuable  services  there 
in  the  cause  of  education,  was  rewarded  with  a  pen- 
sion, which  was  an  ample  competency  for  him,  and 
enabled  him  to  pursue  his  labors  and  writings  in  the 
same  cause.  His  life,  thus  unremittingly  devoted  to 
literary  and  evangelical  pursuits,  finally  closed  at 
Hamburg,  after  he  had  reached  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  In  the  year  1632  he  had  been  chosen  bishop 
of  the  Unitas  Eratrum,  and  gave  his  daughter  in  mar- 
riage to  Peter  Jablonsky,  subsequently  bishop  of  the 
Brethren,  and  father  of  Daniel  Ernest  Jablonsky, 
through  whom,  as  will  be  shown,  the  episcopal  ordi- 
nation was  handed  down  to  their  renewed  church. 

At  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  and  opening  of  the 
eighteenth  centuries  no  distinct  traces  of  the  Unitas 
Fratrum  are  to  be  found  in  the  countries  of  Bohemia 
and  Moravia.  After  the  peace  of  Westphalia  all 
hope  for  them  seems  to  have  been  lost,  and  they 
were,  in  consequence,  obliged  to  hold  themselves  in 
more  strict  concealment  than  ever  before.  They 
escaped  into  other  countries,  where  thousands  sought 
and  found  protection.  Some  of  these  went  to  Prussia 
and  Poland,  but  the  majority  to  Saxony  and  Upper 
Lusatia.  In  Poland  some  of  their  congregation  still 
survived,  and  many  were  induced  to  move  thither 
and  join  them,  but  the  larger  portion  of  this  ill-fated 


THE   ANCIENT    UNITAS   FRATRUM.  29 

Christian  people  by  degrees  became  lost  among  otter 
nations,  and  what  once  constituted  the  Ancient 
Unitas  Fratrum  was  so  entirely  dispersed  as  to  leave 
but  few  traces  behind. 

Of  those  few  remnants  of  them,  still  lingering  in 
Bohemia  and  Moravia,  there  were  some  who  read  the 
Bible  in  secret,  even  concealing  it  from  their  wives, 
children,  and  servants,  and  only  availing  themselves 
of  the  precepts  it  taught  them,  in  instructing  others. 
Their  meetings  were  held  in  the  night,  and  in  cel- 
lars, or  other  unseen  recesses;  and  wherever  a  few  of 
them  remained  throughout  the  land,  they  pursued 
the  practices  and  preserved  the  invincible  fidelity  to 
their  religion,  which  had  distinguished  their  fore- 
fathers for  many  centuries  before  them. 

It  was  during  this  stage  of  the  history  of  the 
Unitas  Fratrum  that  the  first  movement  took  place 
in  Lusatia,  which  attracted  Christian  David,  the 
Nitschmanns,  the  Neisers,  Toeltschig,  Zeisberger  and 
others  to  that  hospitable  region,  where  a  safe  asylum 
was  held  out  to  all  who  wished  to  enjoy  the  immuni- 
ties and  blessings  of  a  pure  evangelical  worship. 
(See  Ratio  Discipline  Unitatis  Fratrum,  and  Ly- 
nars  Ursprung  und  Fortgange  der  Brilder  Unitat.) 


III. 

HERRXHUT. 

Ix  that  portion  of  eastern  Saxony  termed  Upper 
Lusatia,  or  "Die  Ober  Lausitz,"  an  old  and  beauti- 
ful country  still  greets  the  eye  of  the  traveler.  As 
he  pursues  the  course  of  the  "Chaussee,"  or  public 
highway,  running  south  from  Loebau  to  Zittau,  or, 
as  he  is  more  likely  to  do,  takes  that  modern  inven- 
tion and  destroyer  of  the  poetical  past,  the  locomo- 
tive, which  now  steams  through  the  districts  of  country 
that  have  been  the  scenes  of  all  the  noted  warfare  of 
the  last  and  the  present  century,  from  Charles  XII. 
to  Xapoleon  I.,  he  will  find  himself  cast  among  the 
varied  associations  of  old  Europe.  Looking  to- 
ward the  south,  the  semicircular  range  of  the  Bohe- 
mian Mountains  appears  in  view,  rising  here  and 
there  into  those  peculiar  peaks  which  characterize 
the  geology  of  this  portion  of  the  earth  in  contrast 
with  our  own.  These  form  the  boundary  between 
Bohemia  and  Saxony,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
latter  of  which  Lusatia  still  remains.  To  such  a  quiet 
and  extremely  aged  picture  as  the  landscape  here 
furnishes,  these  mountains  afford  a  most  appropriate 
inclosure,  and  heighten,  in  a  marked  degree,  the  whole 
(30) 


HERRNHUT.  31 

beauty  of  Lusatia.  Scattered  all  around  throughout 
this  region  are  still  to  be  found  the  vestiges  of 
feudalism,  and,  occasionally,  a  cloister  or  a  chapel. 
The  ruins  of  the  castle,  where  they  yet  exist,  are 
carefully  preserved  with  that  veneration  for  the  ob- 
solete that  results  from  a  European  education. 

But  what  most  strikes  the  American  tourist,  in 
these  portions  of  central  Europe,  is  the  "Dorf"  and 
its  gray  cottages.  Many  of  these  lowly  structures 
may  be  centuries  old,  and  are  but  in  the  earliest 
stage  of  their  annals  when  our  buildings  reach  their 
usual  time  of  demolition.  A  dense  thatch  is  seen  to 
cover  them,  and  the  dark  color  and  patches  of  moss 
that  adorn  it  bespeak  the  degree  of  age  that  bears 
upon  it.  The  homestead  is  comprised  of  a  single 
building,  the  stable  and  dwelling  being  under  one 
and  the  same  roof.  Aside  of  the  low  and  narrow 
doorway  is  seen  a  small  window,  sufficient  to  aiFord 
a  scanty  supply  of  light,  but  pierced  through  walls 
of  masonry  that  seem  designed  to  last  for  ages. 
"Within  the  dwelling-room  itself,  the  most  remarkable 
object  is  the  huge  tile-sto4e,  occupying,  in  some 
smaller  domiciles,  nearly  one-fourth  of  the  apart- 
ment, and  reaching  up  almost  to  the  ceiling, — the 
top  of  it  overhung  with  apparel,  or  covered  with 
tools,  cooking  utensils,  and  a  heterogeneous  collec- 
tion of  the  needful  appointments  of  the  household. 
In  emerging  from  one  of  these  venerable  chambers, 
and  casting  an  inquisitive  glance  upward,  you  will 
observe  that  a  ladder,   or  some  old,  broken,   and 

4 


32  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

rickety  stairs  lead  the  way  to  the  dormitory  above. 
As  there  is  never  a  fence,  and  seldom  a  hedge,  either 
for  the  inclosure  of  field  or  garden,  the  cow,  which 
constitutes  one  of  the  family's  nearest  neighbors, 
and  occupies  the  same  covering,  is  never  seen  in 
pasture ;  and  the  peasant  is  met  coming  in  with  a 
huge  pile  of  fragrant  clover,  which  he  has  just 
mown  in  the  adjoining  field.  At  almost  every  win- 
dow in  the  larger-sized  cottages  a  little  projecting 
platform  is  covered  with  flower-pots,  showing  forth 
out  of  all  the  poverty  of  real  life  that  feeling  of 
poesy  which  ever  reigns  in  pleasant  companionship 
with  nature  herself, — with  nature  untrammeled  by 
the  adornments  of  false  art,  pure  and  expressive  of 
simple  joys. 

Numerous  are  the  pictures  of  living  poetry  in 
these  antiquated  lands  ;  and  when  the  stranger  passes 
by  or  sojourns  among  them,  he  finds  the  original 
from  which  art  has  taken  so  many  of  -her  finest  de- 
signs. It  will  not  be  required,  nor  indeed  will  it  be 
well  for  him,  to  go  into  all  the  interior  circumstances 
of  life,  as  the  comparison  between  its  needful  wants 
and  actual  supplies  sometimes  shows  an  appaling  con- 
clusion, and  he  might,  perchance,  fall  into  reflections 
which  would  mar  all  the  beauty  his  imagination  had 
aided  him  in  raising  up. 

But  it  is  not  alone  the  exterior  of  life  that  should 
engage  our  attention  here  among  these  lowly  homes. 
The  human  heart,  as  it  lives  and  beats  within  them, 
is  peculiarly  constituted.    To  understand  those  hearts 


HERRNHUT.  33 

we  must  have  access  to  their  workings,  by  the  medium 
of  language,  and  that  language  is  the  one  in  which 
they  are  born,  and  live,  and  die. 

"When  these  people  meet  you,  their  greeting  is 
that  of  affection.  "When  the  stranger  from  a  distant 
land  comes  among  them  to  seek  out  some  remnants 
of  an  old  ancestry,  some  long-forgotten  ones,  whose 
names  have  been  handed  down  to  him,  he  finds  him- 
self received  with  open  arms  and  all  the  warmth  of 
an  old  love.  The  words  of  welcome  he  finds  ad- 
dressed to  him  are  significant  of  the  most  heartfelt 
joy.  Such  a  model  of  moral  beauty,  springing  out 
of  humble  life,  the  American  is  unaccustomed  to, 
and  in  stepping  aside  from  the  great  highway  of 
travel  among  these  rural  abodes  of  Lusatia,  he  will 
be  led  into  a  comprehension  of  the  nature,  depth, 
and  earnestness  of  the  people  from  whom  the  Mo- 
ravians have  sprung. 

In  the  midst  of  this  country  Herrnhut  lies  tran- 
quil and  undisturbed.  Entering  it  from  its  northern 
side,  over  the  "  Chaussee,"  its  quiet  is  so  remarkable 
as  to  impress  you  with  some  unusual  feeling.  You 
greet  and  are  greeted  by  every  one  of  its  inhabit- 
ants. The  artisan  seems  hidden  somewhere  from 
notice,  as  the  din  of  industry  awakens  but  little  at- 
tention and  can  scarcely  be  heard. 

As  you  scan  the  environs  of  the  village,  nothing 
could  present  a  more  perfect  idyl.  Here  the  earth 
has  no  wastes ;  all  its  apportionments  are  perfectly 


34  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

garden-like,  without  even  a  hedge  to  show  the  de- 
markations  of  property. 

In  the  picture  of  rural  life,  as  here  presented, 
there  is  a  dreamy  repose  shed  forth  by  the  old  ways, 
customs,  pursuits,  and  external  features  of  European 
inaction,  that  belongs  only  to  itself  and  has  no  re- 
semblance to  life  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  But 
nature  here  is  never  purely  herself;  as  the  forest  is 
planted,  so  the  tree  by  the  wayside  is  placed  there  by 
art ;  the  woods  are  carefully  culled  of  their  exube- 
rance, of  their  superfluous  boughs,  decayed  limbs,  or 
fallen  trunks  of  trees,  and  the  forest-keeper  is  a 
personage  who  figures  everywhere.  He  plants  and 
replants,  and  watches  over  these  artificial  groves,  as 
the  centuries  fly  along,  leaving  no  such  thing  as 
native  growth  to  be  seen. 

Of  the  objects  that  attract  the  visitor's  attention, 
the  "Hutberg"  is  the  most  prominent.  This  is  an 
eminence  in  the  upper  portion  of  Herrnhut,  on  the 
slope  of  which  the  cemetery  occupies  a  considerable 
space,  surrounded  and  shaded  by  dense  rows  of  lin- 
dens. Like  all  the  other  Moravian  burial-places, 
the  graves  have  their  allotted  portions  of  earth,  and 
the  name  of  the  occupant  is  designated  by  inscrip- 
tions on  small,  oblong,  and  uniform  marble  slabs. 
An  avenue  of  lindens  leads  from  the  village  to  the 
"Hutberg,"  beneath  which  the  funeral  procession 
passes  when  going  from  the  church.  Besides  the 
solemn  purposes  to  which  it  is  applied,  the  cemetery 
is  a  thoroughfare,  in  strolling  up  to  the  summit  of 


HERRNHUT.  35 

the  "Hutberg"  and  to  the  observatory  there,  called 
the  "Altan."  The  "Laube,"  or  arbor,  is  found 
among  its  paths,  where  the  pleasures  of  meditation 
are  enjoyed  in  the  vicinity  of  the  grave.  The  pecu- 
liar poetry  which  the  Moravian  throws  around  the 
subject  and  circumstances  of  death,  renders  the 
combination  of  the  arbor  and  the  grave  no  incon- 
gruity, and  you  may  often  find  these  seats  occupied 
by  smiling  and  cheerful  faces.  A  few  flights  of  steps 
conduct  to  the  summit  of  the  "Hutberg,"  in  emerg- 
ing from  the  precincts  of  the  burial-ground,  and  after 
having  sought  out  the  final  resting-place  of  the  most 
remarkable  characters  of  Moravian  history — such  as 
Count  Zinzendorf  and  the  Countess,  Anna  Nitsch- 
mann,  Christian  David,  Spangenberg,  and  many 
others,  the  first  of  whom  has  flow  reposed  here  nearly 
a  century — you  are  tempted  to  seek  the  summit  and 
look  down  on  Herrnhut  and  its  environs.  Here 
the  picture  I  have  already  attempted  to  describe  be- 
comes more  panoramic,  and,  in  addition  to  its  varied 
and  interesting  features,  the  ancient  village  of  Ber- 
thelsdorf  attracts  your  attention. 

Another  long  avenue,  extending  three-quarters  of 
a  mile  from  Herrnhut,  and  shaded  by  closely  planted 
lindens,  now  very  old  and  umbrageous,  leads  to 
Berthelsdorf,  where  are  first  observed  two  large 
buildings,  occupied  by  ten  members  of  the  Unity's 
Conference  and  their  families.  This  conference  is 
to  be  considered  as  the  ruling  head  and  authority  of 
the  Moravian  Church.  In  close  proximity  to  these, 
4* 


36  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

stands  the  Manor  House,  or,  at  a  later  period,  called 
the  "Schloss,"1  which,  in  its  primitive  form,  was  the 
family  mansion  of  Count  Zinzendorf,  and  was  occu- 
pied by  him  as  proprietor  of  the  estates  of  Ber- 
thelsdorf  during  the  infancy  of  Herrnhut,  whither 
he  removed  subsequent  to  his  marriage  with  the 
Countess  Erdmuth  Dorothea  Reuss.  On  his  final 
return  thither,  in  1757,  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days  in  this  mansion,  where  he  died  in 
1760.  At  a  later  period  the  edifice  was  greatly 
enlarged,  the  improvements  giving  it  the  appear- 
ance of  a  "  Schloss."  It  is  now  the  residence 
of  the  President  of  the  Unity's  Conference  and  of 
other  members  thereof.  Around  an  oval  table  in 
the  second  story  are  seen  seated,  three  times  each 
week,  the  Unity's  Conference.  Their  time,  during 
these  sittings,  which  last  from  nine  to  half-past  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  is  chiefly  devoted  to  the 
perusal  of  letters  from  every  quarter  of  the  globe. 
In  these  deliberations,  Greenland,  South  Africa, 
Surinam,  Australia,  the  West  Indies,  and  North 
America,  all  come  up  in  succession  as  subjects  of 
consultation,  and  it  constitutes  the  sole  employment 
of  the  twelve  members  of  this  body  to  read  and  dis- 
cuss measures  growing  out  of  this  vast  correspond- 
ence.   No  less  than  fifty  letters  per  week  are  received 

1  Literally  a  castle,  but  the  word  applies  to  all  structures 
of  ample  dimensions,  and  adapted  to  the  uses  of  a  large 
family  mansion. 


HERRNHUT.  37 

by  the  Conference  from  its  various  correspond- 
ents. The  apartment  which  is  the  scene  of  these 
transactions  is  adorned  with  portraits  of  various  Mo- 
ravian characters,  such  as  Zinzendorf,  Spangenberg, 
Nitschmann,  and  Amos  Comenius. 

Passing  somewhat  farther  down,  from  Herrn- 
hut,  and  crossing  a  small  brook,  you  enter  the 
little  hamlet  of  Berthelsdorf,  and,  proceeding  among 
its  extremely  old  and  quaint  homes,  reach  that 
ancient  church,  formerly  used  by  Count  Zinzendorf 
and  Rothe,  before  the  building  of  Herrnhut.  It  is 
now  the  village  church  of  the  Lutherans,  and  is  the 
resort  of  the  people  in  the  vicinity.  It  is  a  remark- 
able edifice,  having  been  founded  five  centuries  ago, 
and  is  in  excellent  repair ;  it  sends  forth  from 
within  its  adamantine  walls,  every  Sabbath  morn,  the 
good  old  chorales  of  the  Lutheran  and  Moravian 
Church.  The  edifice  is  larger  than  it  originally  was, 
having  been  renewed  from  time  to  time.  It  was 
fated  to  pass  through  many  ordeals.  In  the  war  of 
the  Hussites  it  was  greatly  injured  by  fire,  and  in 
1538  the  Roman  Catholics  were  expelled  from  it 
and  the  priest  driven  out  by  main  force.  Berthels- 
dorf itself  is  situated  in  a  valley,  looking  upward 
toward  the  "Hutberg,"  which  rises  850  feet  above 
the  village.  Its  origin  is  wrapt  in  obscurity,  and  its 
name  is  supposed  to  have  been  derived  from  one 
Berthold,  about  the  year  1346.  It  contains  about 
2000  inhabitants,  and  since  1480  has  been  in  pos- 
session of  the  noble  family  of  De  Gersdorf. 


38  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

A  favorite  resort  of  the  inhabitants  of  Herrnhut 
is  the  "Heinrichsberg,"  a  pleasure-ground  among  the 
beautiful  ravines  on  one  of  the  southern  hillsides. 
Here  numerous  bowers  and  shady  winding  paths 
invite  the  young  and  old  to  spend  the  afternoon  in 
the  enjoyment  of  tea  or  coffee  within  their  quiet 
recesses. 

In  giving  a  few  of  these  characteristics  of  Herrn- 
hut, as  it  now  appears,  my  object  is  merely  to  intro- 
duce the  subject  of  the  following  pages,  by  a  pre- 
sentation of  the  locality  where  Moravianism  took  its 
rise,  and  where  it  still  flourishes,  under  the  auspices 
of  a  small  body  of  people  who  are  imbued  with  its 
essentia]  elements. 

Of  the  company  of  Moravian  exiles,  the  descend- 
ants of  the  old  Bohemian  and  Moravian  Church  and 
of  the  original  followers  of  John  Huss,  whose  event- 
ful history  and  claims  to  a  pure  episcopacy  that  pur- 
sued a  stream  uncontaminated  by  Popery  from  the 
apostolic  ages,  have  just  been  told,  Christian  David 
was  the  most  noted.  He  came  to  Berthelsdorf  in 
company  with  his  countrymen,  espoused  the  cause 
of  Zinzendorf,  entered  into  the  spirit  of  his  plan 
for  the  erection  of  Herrnhut,  and  sedulously  aided 
the  designs  of  this  new  Christian  apostle.  The  first 
tree  felled  for  the  purpose  was  close  by  the  high- 
way, and  a  "Denkmal,"  or  monument,  marks  the 
spot,  with  a  suitable  inscription  upon  it  describing 
the  event.  Around  it  are  placed  seats  of  stone,  and 
this  is  a  never-failing  point  of  attraction  to  the  his- 


HERRNHUT.  39 

torical  visitor.  Though  136  years  have  elapsed  since 
that  event,  the  original  frame-work  of  Zinzendorf's 
spiritual  system,  conceived  by  himself  and  put  into 
execution  by  his  efforts,  united  with  those  of  his 
followers,  may  still  be  regarded  as  perfect  at  Herrn- 
hut. 

In  estimating  the  tillage  system  from  its  best 
point  of  view,  we  must  regard  with  care  the  stress 
laid  upon  the  organization  of  the  congregation. 
Zinzendorf,  whose  genius  was  peculiarly  adapted  for 
the  task  of  social  organization,  aimed  chiefly  at  the 
principle  of  exclusion ;  bringing  together  a  com- 
munity of  people,  whose  whole  life  and  pursuits, 
trades,  occupations,  professions,  pleasures,  pastimes, 
were  all  to  be  regulated  and  characterized  by  one 
religious  impulse.  For  its  accomplishment  some  of 
the  unexceptionable  elements  of  socialism  were 
needed,  in  order  to  cement  the  whole  mass  of  the 
congregation  and  support  its  economical  interests. 

I  will  premise,  however,  that  communism  in  the 
form  of  the  Phalanstery  was  not  adopted,  and,  with 
the  exception  of  its  first  application  in  America, 
where  it  lasted  about  twenty  years,  it  formed  no  fea- 
ture of  the  Brethren's  communities.  These  interests 
of  the  individual  required  a  mutual  protection,  and, 
on  this  account,  the  number  of  trades  was  limited, 
no  one  having  the  privilege  of  pursuing  his  occupa- 
tion unless  granted  him  by  the  authorities  of  the  con- 
gregation. 

The  general  proprietary  was  called  the  Diacony, 


40  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

■which  held  the  lands,  farms,  and  all  the  larger  esta- 
blishments under  its  control  and  direction,  the  reve- 
nues being  applied  to  the  general  purposes  of  the  vil- 
lage and  the  society  at  large.  Under  this  form  of 
organization  competition  in  trade  was  effectually  ex- 
cluded, and  the  community  was  enabled  to  nourish  by 
a  harmony  of  industrial  pursuits,  for,  in  following  out 
the  details  of  this  system,  we  find  that  care  was  taken 
not  to  allow  one  tradesman  to  under-sell  the  other ; 
the  prices  of  all  goods  offered  for  sale  were  limited, 
and  the  quality  of  all  manufactured  articles  inspected 
and  kept  up  to  a  certain  standard.  Under  these 
regulations  the  great  principle  was  implied,  that  the 
love  of  gain  was  never  to  enter  into  the  aims  of  those 
engaged  in  trade,  but  that  the  desire  of  benefiting 
one's  neighbor  should  be  the  paramount  object  of  an 
industrious  life. 

All  the  necessary  rules  were  laid  down  for  the 
mutual  conduct  of  master  and  apprentice,  the  bear- 
ing of  each  toward  the  other;  fidelity  to  contract 
in  the  making  and  delivery  of  goods ;  as  to  the  cir- 
cumspect choice  of  trades  for  the  boys,  and  a  proper 
discretion  in  allowing  them  to  follow  their  inclinations 
in  this  particular. 

Another  institution  was  the  almonry,  or  poor-fund, 
with  its  almoner,  who  administered  to  the  wants  of 
the  destitute,  whenever  they  came  to  be  in  need  of 
help,  through  disease  or  other  causes. 

Physicians  were  regularly  appointed  by  the  general 
superintendence  of  the  village,  and  paid  their  stipu- 


HERRNIIUT.  41 

lated  salaries ;  no  fees  were  ever  allowed  to  be  given 
them ;  they  were  required  to  be  married  men,  to  call 
down  Divine  assistance  in  their  efforts  to  cure,  and 
never  to  boast  of  their  own  efficiency  in  the  course 
of  their  practice. 

It  was  enjoined  upon  the  physician  that  he  should 
never  forbear  disclosing  to  his  patient  his  real  con- 
dition, since  it  was  pre-supposed  that  every  one  would 
rejoice,  on  learning  he  was  approaching  nearer  to 
Jesus. 

In  the  Zinzendorfian  community  egotism  became 
an  oblation  to  a  high  spiritual  purpose ;  the  inner  life 
of  its  people  derived  its  sustenance  from  a  pure, 
simple,  and  active  faith,  and  all  their  acquisitions 
were  made  subservient  to  spiritual  ends.  A  total 
surrender  of  egotism  was,  accordingly,  the  first  step 
to  membership  in  this  people,  fashioned  after  the  old 
apostolic  times.  Zinzendorf  ushered  in  his  plan  by 
the  erection  of  a  house  for  single  Brethren  and  one 
for  single  Sisters.  He  divided  his  congregation  into 
"Choirs,"  or  classes:  the  younger  girls,  the  elder 
girls,  the  sisters,  the  married  brethren  and  sisters, 
the  widows,  widowers,  the  younger  boys,  the  elder 
boys,  the  single  brethren,  all  constituted  distinct 
"  Choirs,"  and  had  their  stated  and  special  meetings. 

In  the  institution  of  the  Brethren's  and  Sisters' 
Houses,  the  plan  intended  was,  to  afford  an  asylum 
to  all  the  young  men  and  women  of  the  community. 
In  Herrnhut  we  find  every  young  man  has  his  allotted 
room   in   the   Brethren's  House,  where   he  repairs 


42       MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

whenever  he  choses,  if  not  a  constant  resident  of  the 
institution,  and  pays  his  tax  for  its  support.  The  same 
rule  applies  to  the  Sisters'  House,  in  reference  to  the 
young  women.  Many  of  either  sex,  who  have  no 
means  of  support  under  the  parental  roof,  make 
choice  of  these  abodes,  and  pursue  their  employments 
there.  A  principal1  has  the  superintendence  of  each 
of  these  institutions,  and,  in  the  Sisters'  House,  the 
inmates  of  which  generally  number  about  two  hun- 
dred, numerous  assistants,  or  vice-principals,  are  ap- 
pointed, who  are  set  over  smaller  divisions  of  the 
sisters. 

The  aged  lady  presiding  over  the  Sisters'  House 
at  Herrnhut  for  nearly  half  a  century,  was  the  Coun- 
tess of  Einsiedlen.  Her  estates  and  private  dwelling 
were  contiguous  to  the  village,  but  she  repaired  regu- 
larly to  the  Sisters'  House  to  perform  her  duties 
there,  and  was  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by 
those  under  her  charge.  She  faithfully  administered 
the  duties  of  this  office  up  to  the  time  of  her  death, 
which  occurred  only  a  few  years  ago.  To  explain 
this  circumstance  more  fully,  it  may  be  necessary  to 
state,  that  the  Moravians  received  a  large  share  of 
patronage  from  the  nobility,  and  numbers  of  titled 
personages  adopted  their  forms,  and  became  devoted 
followers  of  their  faith. 

The  office  of  this  principal  and  her  assistants  is  to 


1  Called  Pflegcr  and  Pflegerin,  or  one  who  cares  for  those 
under  him  or  her. 


HERRNHUT.  43 

keep  under  their  constant  supervision  all  the  young 
women  residing  within  the  walls  of  this  asylum.  All 
the  young  girls  of  the  village  have  their  appoint- 
ments in  the  building,  and  assemble  there  before  pro- 
ceeding to  church  service,  followed  by  their  princi- 
pals. Over  all  these  female  "Choirs"  the  principal 
exercises  a  spiritual  influence,  guides  their  conduct, 
and  has  confidential  communications  with  them  at 
stated  times,  such  as  preceding  a  communion  or 
Choir  Festival. 

The  institution  of  the  "Speaking,"  or  the  confi- 
dential communication  between  the  principal  and 
those  under  her  charge,  the  plan  of  the  Sisters' 
House  itself  and  its  whole  organization,  have  been 
regarded  by  many  as  bearing  a  strong  tinge  of  Ro-f 
man  Catholicism,  and  this,  with  many  other  features 
of  striking  resemblance  to  the  Roman  Church,  drew 
upon  the  Moravians  the  charge  of  Romanism,  and 
originated  the  saying  that,  "The  road  to  Rome  went 
through  Herrnhut."1     The  inmates  of  these  houses, 

1  It  is  very  properly  remarked  by  Lynar:  "It  appears  to 
me  that  they  who  designate  the  United  Brethren  as  a  Lu- 
theran monastic  order,  labor  under  a  great  misconception. 
There  is,  confessedly,  a  certain  form  of  monasticism  in  their 
general  subordination,  obedience  to  superiors,  allotted  hours 
of  worship,  and  other  prescribed  rules  and  social  forms.  But 
if  we  reflect  how  it  is  marked  by  its  celibacy,  its  withdrawal 
from  all  the  usual  forms  of  industry,  its  seclusion,  its  mendi- 
cancy, the  frequent  application  of  coercion  in  the  entrance  to 
the  cloister,  and  the  large  revenues  falling  to  its  use,  we 
shall  see  the  vast  difference  between  the  two ;  and,  laying 

5 


44  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

however,  were  never  bound  by  promises  or  vows  to 
remain  within  their  walls,  nor  did  they  immure  them- 
selves therein  for  any  longer  time  than  the  ordinary 
necessities  of  life  might  render  it  desirable  for  them 
to  sojourn  there.  For  the  most  part,  they  are  given 
to  industrious  pursuits,  they  mingle  with  society, 
come  and  go  at  their  pleasure,  and  when  the  chance 
of  marriage  presents  itself,  they  are  at  liberty  to 
leave. 

The  institution  of  the  Brethren's  and  Sisters' 
Houses  is  a  marked  feature  of  the  Zinzendorfian 
plan,  and  tends,  perhaps  more  than  any  other  ar- 
rangement, to  cement  the  whole  social  body  residing 
in  a  single  village.  Under  this  organization  there  can 
be  but  little  poverty  and  no  destitution,  for  while  all 
'the  members  of  the  religious  family,  as  it  may  justly 
be  viewed,  are  cared  for,  helplessness  and  old  age  are 
the  objects  of  a  peculiar  tenderness  and  sympathy. 
Another  characteristic  of  Herrnhut  was,  the  conse- 
cration of  manual  labor,  and  its  elevation  to  the  posi- 
tion of  a  religious  duty. 

As  the  aims  of  the  whole  people  were  concentrated 
upon  one  purpose,  that  of  first  seeking  their  own 
chasteness  of  life,  and  thence  setting  out  upon  the 
apostolic  mission  among  mankind,  labor  enjoyed  its 
dignity,  and  the  trades,  occupations,  and  professions 


aside  all  other  considerations,  we  cannot  but  acknowledge 
that  one  has  proved  as  great  a  benefit  to  the  State  as  the 
other  has  been  prejudicial." 


HERRNHUT.  45 

of  all  were  sanctified,  and  received  the  benedictions 
of  prayer  and  song. 

Much  stress  should  be  laid  upon  this  aspect  of  Mo- 
ravian life,  inasmuch  as  it  serves  to  show  how  the  as- 
perities of  toil  for  daily  bread  were  mitigated,  how  the 
contrasts  of  society  were  subdued,  and  the  condition 
of  those  gifted  with  fortune  and  those  born  without 
estate  fully  equalized;  for,  notwithstanding  the 
equality  aimed  at  by  Zinzendorf,  both  of  these  grades 
of  society  have  existed  at  all  times  in  every  Mora- 
vian community,  and  in  Europe,  where  the  distinc- 
tion between  noble  and  peasant  is  so  strongly  and 
indelibly  marked,  the  Christianity  acted,  and  does 
yet  act,  with  a  subduing  influence. 

At  Herrnhut,  the  Diacony  or  Proprietary  of  the 
farms,  wood  lands,  hotel,  stores,  and  large  manufac- 
tories is  still  upheld,  and  is  based  upon  the  funda- 
mental principle' of  Zinzendorf's  plan,  to  perpetuate 
the  congregation  by  a  blending  of  interests,  and  mak- 
ing the  whole  membership  intent  upon  one  purpose. 

The  Diacony  is  sustained  in  all  the  European  com- 
munities, although  recently  abolished  in  this  country, 
and  is  connected  with  a  lease  system,  giving  the  right 
of  holding  real  estate  to  those  only  who  are  members 
of  a  congregation.  Thus  by  excluding  all  foreign 
elements  from  the  population  of  a  small  village  com- 
munion, the  tone  of  society  can  be  upheld  in  compara- 
tive purity;  all  the  forms  of  the  church,  its  rituals, 
festivals,  and  enjoinments  preserved,  and  the  Chris- 
tian family,  after  the  early  apostolic  model,  and  in 


46  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

accordance  with  the  idea  of  Zinzendorf,  fully  carried 
out.  Hence  the  village,  and  it  only,  became  the  seat 
of  a  fully-developed  Moravianism ;  because  its  per- 
fect isolation,  its  uniformity,  its  conjoint  purposes 
and  pursuits,  and  its  unique  cultus  removed  it  be- 
yond, and  elevated  it  above,  the  atmosphere  of  a 
grosser  world ;  all  these  rendered  it  the  true  sphere 
of  an  apostolic  Christianity,  and  fulfilled  the  ideal 
of  a  perfect  congregation.1 

1  The  admission  into  the  community  of  Herrnhut  was  not 
a  matter  of  easy  accomplishment,  and  before  permission  was 
granted  to  any  one  to  become  a  member  of  the  society,  he  was 
required  to  hand  into  the  ecclesiastical  board  a  written  decla- 
ration of  his  intentions. 

The  Board,  or  Conference,  then  requested  of  him  a  personal 
interview,  in  which  a  candid  declaration  of  his  sentiments 
was  asked.  He  was  told  that  the  congregation  was  looked 
upon  as  a  wise  institution  of  Christ,  which  was  partly  destined 
to  spread  His  kingdom  among  infidels  and  heathen,  and 
partly  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  testament  of  Jesus,  which 
enjoins  unity  and  a  close  connection  among  his  believers  as 
the  only  condition  of  happiness,  and  the  sole  means  of  pro- 
tection against  the  tide  of  worldly  vanity,  that  involves  so 
many  in  ruin. 

It  was  not  presumed  that  an  individual  was  more  sure  of 
his  salvation  within  than  without  the  congregation,  if  he  only 
belonged  to  the  true  church  of  Christ,  which  is  invisible,  and 
consists  of  such  members  as  really  believe  iu  Jesus  Christ, 
and  give  practical  evidence  of  this  belief. 

It  was,  therefore,  not  sufficient  to  be  a  Christian  to  gain 
admittance  to  the  congregation,  but  a  proper  appreciation, 
and  a  peculiar  endowment  were  deemed  requisite. 

God  was  not  willing  that  all  true  Christians  should  join 


HERRNHUT.  47 

To  render  more  united  this  community  of  thought 
and  labor,  Zinzendorf  applied  to  Moravian  worship 

this  congregation,"  since  he  wishes  them  to  be  scattered 
throughout  the  earth  as  useful  seed  ;  on  this  account  it  could 
enjoy  its  friendships  beyond  its  own  circle,  without  prose- 
lyting. 

The  initiation  to  the  congregation  was  a  matter  of  deep 
moment,  and  demanded  much  wary  reflection,  because  every 
one  who  assumed  its  responsibilities  must  pledge  his  life  for 
Christ,  be  prepared  for  every  summons,  and  live  after  the 
manner  of  the  Apostles,  when  it  was  said  of  them,  "they  de- 
voted themselves  to  the  Lord,"  and  consequently  to  the  con- 
gregation. 

The  candidate  was  at  liberty  to  reside  several  weeks  among 
the  Brethren,  and  make  himself  fully  acquainted  with  them> 
before  closing  his  purpose  to  join  them. 

During  this  period  he  was  questioned  as  to  his  past  career — 
what  had  been  his  fortunes  in  the  world ;  was  he  out  at  ser- 
vice or  at  home  with  his  parents  ;  or  were  there  any  obstacles 
in  the  way,  rendering  it  impracticable  for  him  to  come  among 
them.  The  main  question  put  to  him  was,  how  he  had  come 
to  think  of  seeking  his  salvation,  and  what  had  led  him  to 
apply  to  them.  It  was  never  inquired  whether  he  were  rich, 
or  poor,  or  what  were  his  abilities. 

After  all  scruples  and  objections  had  been  surmounted,  and 
the  applicant  remained  firm  in  his  purpose  and  conviction 
that  he  considered  himself  called  to  become  a  member  of  the 
Herrnhutian  community,  the  lot  was  resorted  to  ;  should  this 
result  in  the  negative,  he  was  told  he  could  not  be  accepted ; 
if,  on  the  contrary,  in  the  affirmative,  he  was  received. 

He  now  had  permission  to  stay,  and  was  regarded  as  a  can- 
didate for  admission.  He  visited  the  Brother,  who  is  the 
adviser  or  principal  of  the  Choir  to  which  he  was  destined, 
and  conversed  with  him  in  the  most  confidential  manner. 

It  was  now  considered  by  the  Conference  of  Elders,  whether 
5* 


48  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

all  the  embellishments  of  music,  the  festival,  the 
uniformity  of    head-dress    among    the   sisters,   the 

the  lot  should  be  used  for  his  final  entrance  into  the  commu- 
nion of  the  society,  and  if  it  proved  a  negative  he  was  apprised 
of  it,  and  no  further  action  was  taken  in  his  case  until  it  was 
thought  that  time  had  removed  the  hindrance.  If  now  the  lot 
approved  of  him,  it  was  announced  to  the  whole  assembled 
congregation  that  Brother would  be  received  as  a  mem- 
ber on  the  following  Congregation-Day,  which  occurred  every 
month. 

The  reception  of  the  new  Brother  took  place  in  the  even- 
ing of  this  day,  after  the  usual  discourse  was  ended. 

The  candidate  sat  before  the  minister,  who  impressed  upon 
him  the  duties  and  obligations  connected  with  the  step  he  had 
taken,  and  held  out  to  him  the  share  of  spiritual  blessings  dis- 
pensed by  Jesus,  which  he  would  receive;  promising  him,  at 
the  same  time,  the  reciprocal  duties  the  congregation  owed 
him. 

Then  all  arose,  and  during  the  singing  of  a  liturgy,  the  new 
candidate  was  received  with  the  kiss  of  peace,  bestowed,  ac- 
cording to  the  sex,  by  Elder  or  Eldress. 

The  minister,  finally,  with  the  whole  assembly,  knelt  down 
and  prayed,  and  the  ordinance  was  concluded  with  singing. 

This  was  the  entrance  into  the  Congregation ;  the  next  step 
was  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  Holy  Communion. 

This  also  became  a  subject  for  the  Elders'  Conference,  who 
appealed  to  the  lot  to  know  if  the  time  was  come  for  his  par- 
taking of  this  sacred  rite.  When  an  affirmative  was  given,  he 
was  notified  through  his  Choir  adviser  to  attend  the  Commu- 
nion Love-Feast,  as  a  spectator. 

Here  it  was  made  known  that  he  was  about  to  become  a 
candidate  for  the  Sacrament.  When  it  was  thought  the  proper 
time  had  arrived,  the  Conference  once  more  resorted  to  the 
lot,  to  know  if  he  was  prepared  for  admission,  and  if  the  reply 
was  favorable,  he  was  desired  to  be  in  -readiness  at  the  next 


HERRNHUT.  49 

white  dress  on  select  occasions,  and  numerous  other 
regulations,  intended  to  imbue  with  order  the  whole 
structure  he  had  erected.1 

If  a  reflection  of  Roman  Catholicism  has  been 
here  and  there  recognized  in  the  drama  of  the  wor- 
ship of  Herrnhut,  we  shall  find  its  church  architec- 
ture the  farthest  possible  departure  from  it.  The 
poverty  of  its  early  pioneers,  and  the  necessity  of 
expending  its  surplus  funds  in  the  work  of  the 
missions,  rendered  superfluous  all  ornaments  of  the 
sanctuary.  The  church  at  Herrnhut  presents  no 
pulpit,  no  cushioned  seats,  no  columns,  no  festooned 
drapery ;  nothing  but  a  simple  table  raised  upon  a 
dais,  for  the  performance  of  all  religious  exercises. 
Although  now  its  ample  means  would  enable  it  to 
erect  an  edifice  in  modern  style,  with  all  the  acces- 
sories of  fashionable  worship,  yet  the  adherence  to 


ceremonial.  A  few  hours  before  the  Communion,  his  adviser 
summoned  him,  and,  in  presence  of  the  Pastor  and  several 
other  members,  prayed  over  him,  sung  verses,  and,  during  the 
singing,  washed  his  feet.  When  the  newly-received  member 
was  a  Sister,  this  was  done  by  the  female  Principal,  in  presence 
of  the  Eldresses.    (See  Lynar.) 

1  In  paying  this  tribute  to  the  Count's  memory,  we  must 
ascribe  to  him  the  remodeling,  rather  than  the  original  con- 
struction, of  the  new  Moravian  Church.  The  old  Moravian 
and  Bohemian  emigrants  to  Herrnhut,  who  formed  the  ma- 
terial for  this  new  organization  of  1722,  were  extremely 
tenacious  of  their  old  forms,  rituals  and  hymns,  and  out  of 
those  elements  Herrnhut,  organized  under  the  auspices  of 
Zinzendorf,  sprung  up. 


50  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

the  old  in  thought,  form,  and  general  modes  of  life 
is  so  deeply  rooted,  that  it  stands  there  in  all  its 
simplicity,  untouched. 

One  of  the  few  customs  of  the  early  days  of 
Herrnhut  that  have  now  become  extinct,  was  that 
of  the  Night-watch.  This  office  was  instituted  in 
1727,  when  the  village  was  but  small,  the  people  in 
their  first  love,  and  a  greater  zeal  felt  for  this  kind 
of  nocturnal  guard  than  would  be  the  case  at  the 
present  time.  In  the  winter  evenings,  the  watchman 
commenced  his  rounds  at  eight  o'clock,  and  con- 
tinued until  six  in  the  morning.  In  summer,  he 
began  at  nine  o'clock,  and  closed  his  duties  at  four 
o'clock.  This  office  was  assumed  by  all  the  male 
inhabitants  in  rotation,  from  sixteen  to  sixty  years. 

The  announcement  of  the  hour  in  verse  rendered 
the  custom  peculiarly  beautiful;  thus  at  eight  o'clock 
was  sung: — 

The  clock  is  eight !  to  Herrnhut  all  is  told 
How  Noah  and  his  Seven  were  saved  of  old. 
9  o'clock.     Hear,  Brethren,  hear !  the  hour  of  nine  is  come  ; 
Keep  pure  each  heart  and  chasten  every  home. 

10  o'clock.     Hear,  Brethren,  hear !    now  ten  the  hour-hand 

shows  ; 
They  only  rest,  who  long  for  night's  repose. 

11  o'clock.     The  clock's  eleven  !  and  ye  have  heard  it  all 

How  in  that  hour  the  mighty  God  did  call. 

12  o'clock.     It's  midnight  now  !  and  at  that  hour  ye  know 

With  lamps  to  meet  the  bridegroom  we  must  go. 
1  o'clock.     The  hour  is  one !   through  darkness  steals  the 

<kv ; 

Shines  in  your  hearts  the  morning  star's  first 
ray? 


HERRNHUT.  51 

2  o'clock.    The  clock  is  two  !  who  comes  to  meet  the  day, 

And  to  the  Lord  of  days  his  homage  pay  ? 

3  o'clock.     The  clock  is  three  !  the  Three  in  One  above 

Let  body,  soul  and  spirit  truly  love. 

4  o'clock.     The  clock  is  four  !  where'er  on  earth  are  three, 

The  Lord  has  promised  He  the  fourth  will  be. 

5  o'clock.     The  clock  is  five  !  while  five  away  were  sent, 

Five  other  virgins  to  the  marriage  went. 

6  o'clock.     The  clock  is  six  !  and  from  the  watch  I'm  free, 

And  every  one  may  his  own  watchman  be.1 

But  this  sentinel  of  Zion  was  not  confined  to  the 
set  stanzas ;  he  continued  his  edifying  verses  during 
his  entire  rounds.  In  singing  these  hymns  he  fre- 
quently awoke  the  sleepers,  who  found  the  subject 
suited  to  their  own  situations,  and  the  impressions  of 
the  night  caused  by  those  appropriate  songs  often 
had  their  enduring  effect.  It  is  related  that  during 
the  visit  of  a  certain  nobleman  to  Herrnhut,  he  was 
so  delighted  with  this  primitive  custom  that  he  in- 
sisted upon  assuming  the  watch  for  an  entire  night, 
and  went  the  rounds  in  the  usual  form. 

During  the  same  epoch  of  Moravian  fervor  the 
institution  of  the  "Hourly  Prayer"  took  its  rise. 
A  company  of  twenty-four  brethren  and  as  many 
sisters  (afterwards  increased  to  seventy-two)  came 
together  and  pledged  themselves  to  occupy  one  hour 
in  the  twenty-four,  each  in  his  or  her  turn,  and  em- 
ploy it  in  intercession  for  himself  or  herself  and 
others,  wherever  known  and  in  need  of  aid  from 

1  Composed  by  Zinzendorf. 


52  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

above.  The  hour  thus  allotted  to  each  one  was 
drawn  by  lot,  and  at  whatever  time  of  day  or  night 
it  might  fall,  they  were  to  be  found  at  their  posts, 
devoted  to  the  charge  assigned  them. 

The  Night-watch  and  Hourly  Prayer  were  some- 
what similar  in  tendency.  Neither  aimed  at  a  pro- 
tection from  without,  but  the  design  was  rather  to 
guard  the  life  within,  and  it  formed  another  of  those 
essential  points  in  a  perfect  Christian  organization, 
complete  in  all  its  parts,  which  distinguished  the 
system  of  the  Moravians  above  all  similar  religious 
communities  on  record. 

Previous  to  the  settlement  of  Herrnhut,  Count 
Zinzendorf  spent  his  early  youth  with  his  grand- 
mother, who  lived  on  her  estates  at  Great  Henners- 
dorf,  at  the  distance  of  three  miles  from  the  village. 
The  old  Castle  of  Hennersdorf,  distinctly  seen  from 
Herrnhut,  is  an  interesting  object  of  research  to 
the  visitor.  Leaving  the  highway,  and  entering  an 
avenue  of  lindens,  you  are  conducted  beneath  their 
shade  up  to  the  very  entrance  of  the  former  court- 
yard of  the  castle,  now  converted  to  the  purposes  of 
a  barn-yard ;  and  on  inquiring  for  the  forest-keeper, 
who  resides  in  its  lower  rooms,  which  are  heavy-look- 
ing, massive,  vaulted  chambers,  he  receives  you  with 
a  welcome,  reaches  for  the  key,  and  guides  you  up 
through  its  dilapidated  corridors  and  empty  halls, 
where  there  is  a  cold  dreary  feeling  reigning  through- 
out. The  tapestry  of  a  former  century  hangs  upon 
the  walls  in  tattered  fragments ;  and  in  looking  out 


HERRNHUT.  53 

through  its  windows  upon  the  pleasant  domains 
around,  you  are  reminded  of  the  past  history  con- 
nected with  the  venerable  pile,  over  which  many 
centuries  have  already  passed.  The  forest-keeper 
himself,  the  official  to  whom  I  have  already  alluded, 
resides  here,  and  has  the  care  of  the  woods  of  the 
Unity,  or  General  Proprietary.  He  seems  to  take 
an  interest  in  the  history  and  traditions  of  the  old 
castle,  and  gives  many  particulars  in  regard  to  its 
earlier  annals,  but  leaves  some  films  of  doubt  resting 
upon  them,  as  to  his  verity  as  a  chronicler. 

Near  to  the  Castle  of  Hennersdorf  stands  a  vener- 
able church,  under  the  care  of  its  aged  Lutheran 
pastor,  who,  having  the  keys  of  its  vaults,  leads  the 
inquisitive  stranger  thither  to  exhibit  the  remains  of 
the  widow  von  Gersdorf,  the  Count's  grandmother, 
which  are  still  perfect  and  uninjured  by  time. 

In  sketching  the  characteristics  of  Herrnhut,  as 
they  have  been  and  still  are,  I  find  much  that  is 
essential  in  Moravianism  to  be  derived  from  the 
national  character  and  the  language  of  the  people 
who  gave  it  birth.  A  century  has  effected  but  little 
change  in  the  modes  of  life,  or  in  the  expressions  of 
feeling  of  a  people,  who,  in  common  with  those  of 
Southern  and  Middle  Europe,  are  children  of  emo- 
tion. Born  and  trained  up  in  abstemiousness,  the 
early  German  Moravians  were  better  fitted  for  en- 
durance and  privation,  such  as  fell  to  their  lot  in  the 
missionary  field,  than  any  other  race  of  people ;  but 
through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  want  and  suffering,  the 


I 

54  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 


language  of  their  infancy,  the  social  customs-  of  their 
forefathers,  the  hymns  of  Zinzendorf,  Paul  Gerhard, 
Luise  von  Hayn  and  others  shielded  and  solaced 
them. 

In  the  language  and  heart  of  the  German  people 
•we  discover  a  key  to  much  that  would  otherwise  be 
inexplicable  in  the  phraseology  of  the  early  Mora- 
vian Brethren.  Its  forms  of  worship  approach  so 
nearly  to  nature,  are  so  divested  of  art,  if  we  except 
the  application  of  the  sound  classic  music  which 
adorns  it,  that  we  cannot  account  for  its  derivation 
but  by  looking  into  German  social  life.  Here  we 
find  the  emotions  declared  in  language.  Sentimen- 
tality becomes  a  living  truth,  and  is  acted  as  we 
find  it  written  in  our  poetry.  The  colloquial'scenes 
of  the  family  might  be  copied,  and  they  would  ap- 
pear like  fiction.  Upon  this  characteristic  of  Ger- 
man emotional  thought  was  founded  that  essential 
portion  of  the  Zinzendorfian  theology  which  relates 
to  the  Saviour.  In  the  old  Hennersdorf  Castle,  the 
window  is  still  shown  where  he  is  said  to  have 
thrown  out  letters  to  the  Saviour,  when  a  child,  and 
it  is  remarkable  that  the  child  remained  a  portion  of 
his  character  to  the  last.  From  the  very  commence- 
ment of  his  early  experience,  Christ's  personality 
seized  upon  his  heart  and  mind,  and  his  imaginary 
intercourse,  which  he  felt  to  be  real,  was  with  a 
being  whom  he  knew  to  be  a  brother.  To  give  vent 
to  the  impressions  springing  out  of  that  intercourse, 
he  indulged   in  expressions  and  composed   lyrical 


HERRNHUT.  55 

strains,  in  which  the  language  and  the  social  ele- 
ment of  the  race  of  that  country  exhibited  their 
strongest  infusion.  Much  of  the  censure  attached 
to  Zinzendorf 's  phraseology  among  the  English  and 
Americans,  arose  from  the  simple  fact  of  their  not 
taking  this  view  of  German  life.  What  appears  so 
artificial  and  theatrical  to  us,  is  perfectly  natural  to 
the  German  people,  and  this  explanation  renders 
clear  and  explicable,  what  sometimes  appears  to  be 
the  puerility  of  Moravianism. 

In  the  church  of  Herrnhut,  and  in  the  old  edifice 
of  Berthelsdorf,  the  gathering  for  worship  is  marked 
by  the  most  respectful  decorum.  In  these  mo- 
narchical countries,  subordination  and  respect  for 
authority  are  striking  features,  and  it  is  pleasing 
to  observe  the  quiet  and  passiveness  of  life  among 
those  who  esteem  it  a  religious  duty  to  submit  to 
the  endless  rules  of  conventionality,  order,  and  law, 
that  distinguish  the  society  of  Central  Europe. 

Upon  certain  days  of  the  year  there  is  an  as- 
sembling of  the  "  Diaspora"1  Brethren  at  Herrnhut, 
or  of  such  members  of  the  church  as  are  scattered 


1  The  "  Diaspora,"  or  dispersed  congregation,  dates  as  far 
back  as  1742,  when  it  was  found  necessary  to  establish  a 
traveling  ministry,  to  enable  all  such  as  desired  the  inter- 
course of  the  Brethren,  to  come  within  their  influence  and 
enjoy  their  teachings.  This  division  of  the  society  is  con- 
fined to  Germany  and  the  continent,  where  it  includes  all 
classes,  and  is  now  so  far  extended  as  to  number  40,000  mem- 
bers in  Livonia,  and  not  less  than  100,000  in  Germany,  Switz- 
erland, and  the  south  of  France. 

6 


56  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

throughout  the  surrounding  country,  but  are  not 
united  together  in  a  congregation.  On  these  occa- 
sions the  audience  is  a  very  large  one,  the  church 
being  of  ample  size,  and  it  is  an  interesting  moment 
"when  this  devout  crowd  is  seen  coming  and  going. 
Among  this  widely-spread  "Diaspora"  are  found 
many  exemplary  specimens  of  the  Brethren ;  and 
whether  on  the  estate,  with  its  mansion,  or  in  the 
lowly  cot  and  its  few  acres,  the  excellence  of  Chris- 
tianity shines  forth. 

In  common  with  the  usages  and  naive  etiquette  of 
German  life,  seen  everywhere,  the  social  forms  of 
the  family  at  Herrnhut  are  expressive  of  its  general 
religious  system.  Before  sitting  down,  and  after 
rising  from  meals,  the  host  and  hostess  give  you 
their  hands,  and  wish  you  JEin  gesegnete  mahkeit  !l 
and  Ich  wunsche  wohl  gespeist  zu  haben  !2  Then, 
if  in  summer,  a  stroll  in  the  garden  follows,  or  an 
hour  in  the  "Laube,"  until  the  time  for  coffee  has 
approached,  when  a  fragrant  cup  of  this  beverage  is 
enjoyed,  some  regaling  cigars,  pleasant  reading,  and 
abundance  of  conversation.  The  birth-day  is  an 
event  of  no  little  importance,  and  the  entertainment 
of  friends,  who  come  in  large  numbers  to  pay  their 
congratulations,  is  a  matter  conscientiously  observed. 

1  A  blessed  meal ! 

1  I  hope  you  have  diued  well !  As  this  ceremony  generally 
accompanies  the  dinner,  the  first  salutation  precedes,  and 
the  second  follows  the  meal. 


HERRXHUT.  57 

If  we  regard  these  old  institutions,  these  poetical 
customs,  the  pure  Zinzendorfian  Moravianism,  with 

all  its  unique,  simple  rituals,  still  exhibited  at  Herrn~ 
hut,  we  must  conclude  that  time  there  effects  no 
changes  as  it  does  among  us.  Its  people  do  not 
seem  intent  upon  building  up  a  new  future  every 
day,  but,  looking  back  upon  the  past,  they  dwell 
there  in  thought  and  cling  to  its  observance  with 
tenacious  grasp. 

These  are  some  of  the  characteristics  of  Herrn- 
hut  as  it  now  is,  and  I  have  forborne  to  dilate  upon 
many  points  brought  into  notice,  since  they  serve 
but  as  a  text  for  the  delineations  of  Moravian  life  in 
America,  such  as  it  has  been.  In  describing  the 
organization  of  the  village  congregation  here  among 
ourselves,  we  shall  behold  the  counterpart  of  living 
Herrnhut,  which  we  are  to  regard  as  the  original  and 
the  model.1 

1  A  distinguished  testimony  lias  been  given  to  Herrnhut, 
its  system,  and  the  character  of  its  founder,  by  Dr.  Leo, 
Professor  in  Halle,  who  thus  writes  : — 

"At  a  time  when  such  a  general  dispersion  took  place,  Zin- 
zendorf  gathered  together.  Herrnhut  may  be  said  to  have 
realized  the  full  accomplishment  for  church  and  social  life 
what  our  times  are  in  quest  of :  a  moral  order  in  human  re- 
lations, a  union  of  the  evangelical  confessions,  an  emancipa- 
tion of  church  from  state,  and  following  out  her  true  designs, 
both  as  regards  internal  relations  as  well  as  the  position  she 
naturally  stands  in  toward  the  State.  Herrnhut,  certainly,  is 
not  to  be  pointed  out  as  a  complete  model  for  practical  pur- 
poses, but,  regarded  as  an  instrument  of  instruction,  it  teaches 


58      MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

us  all  we  need.  Its  organization  was  adapted  for  a  certain 
length  of  time  to  the  preservation,  propagation,  and  discharge 
of  the  great  work  of  humanity,  and  this  was  to  be  done  in 
limited  circles,  but  here  and  in  full. 

"As  theological  science  began  to  undermine  the  temple  of 
the  Lord,  Zinzendorf,  aided  chiefly  by  poor  and  simple  people, 
and  ridiculed  by  the  learned  and  educated,  succeeded  in  bear- 
ing away  the  altar  and  its  sanctuary,  and  even  with  these  the 
veil  which  he  might  at  one  time  extend  before  him,  into  a  tent 
that  stood  upon  a  firm  foundation,  in  order  to  save  them  for 
the  whole  world  of  Protestantism. 

"  This  is  a  part  of  the  world's  history,  the  merit  of  which 
belongs  to  him,  and  far  surpasses  that  of  all  the  philosophers 
from  his  time  up  to  our  own,  who  are  driven  like  waves,  one 
against  the  other,  until  they  reach  the  firmly  built  shore  of 
revelation. 

"Zinzendorf  himself  regarded  his  institution  only  as  a 
transition  ;  he  made  the  declaration  that  whenever  the  gospel 
should  burst  forth  in  a  more  luminous  appearance  than  was 
exhibited  among  the  Brethren,  they  should  unite  themselves 
with  the  new  dispensation,  and  that  they  were  in  a  manner 
pledged  to  do  so.  The  mannerism  of  Zinzendorf,  with  his 
unique  and  singular  forms  of  expression,  (though  many  of  his 
intrinsic  beauties  have  passed  unregarded,)  has  been  made  the 
subject  of  frequent  rebuke.  But  this  very  characteristic  has 
preserved  his  people  from  communication  with  the  mongrel 
and  the  impure ;  from  the  contagion  of  the  worst  grade  of 
moral  leprosy  that  could  possibly  come  in  contact  with  a 
work  like  his  ;  and  to  which  it  must  inevitably  fall  a  prey  as 
soon  as  it  puts  on  these  attractive  forms,  which  all  the  world 
admires." 


IV. 

ZINZENDORF. 

"  He  believed  because  be  loved." 

In  estimating  individual  greatness,  we  generally 
place  before  the  mind  some  standard  of  merit  by 
which  to  weigh  the  performances  of  him  who  excites 
our  wonder  and  admiration. 

The  world  has  many  standards  to  which  its  ideas 
of  greatness  must  necessarily  conform,  and  those  are 
often  so  falsely  laid  down  that  society  is  misled  by 
the  factitious  glare  that  accumulates  around  men  of 
note.  In  some  men,  to  all  appearances,  the  heart  has 
no  room  for  action,  so  that  to  the  end  of  their  lives 
it  leaves  no  memories  of  its  sensitive  loves,  its  dif- 
fusive tenderness,  or  the  pleasant  influences  by  which 
it  binds  man  to  man.  In  others,  on  the  contrary, 
the  history  of  emotion  is  an  expansive  representa- 
tion of  an  individual  career,  and  when  eminence 
springs  from  this  source  it  shows  how  a  heroism  may 
originate  within  the  inner  workings  of  a  pure  and 
chastened  mind. 

The  value  and  importance  of  such  a  history  as 
that  of  the  heart  under  the  finest  religious  influences, 
6*  (59) 


60  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

are  nowhere  more  striking  than  in  the  personage 
known  as  Count  Zinzendorf.  If  ancient  descent  and 
long-worn  titles  were  of  any  value,  his  position,  as  a 
nobleman,  was  of  great  eminence,  while  his  claims 
to  distinction  on  the  score  of  inherited  rank  were 
by  no  means  small,  for  the  illustrious  family  from 
which  he  sprung  traced  an  ancestry  as  far  back  as 
the  eleventh  century,  at  which  period  it  was  ranked 
among  the  twelve  great  houses,  which  were  considered 
the  chief  support  of  the  Austrian  dynasty.^/  He  was 
entitled  Nicholas  Lewis,  Count  and  Lord  of  \  uzendorf 
and  Pottendorf ;  Lord  of  the  Baronies  of  Freydeck, 
Schoeneck,  Thurnstein,  and  the  Vale  of  Wachovia; 
Lord  of  the^Manor  of  Upper,  Lower,  and  Middle  Ber- 
thelsdorf ;  Hereditary  Warder  of  the  Chase  to  His 
Imperial  Majesty,  in  the  Duchy  of  Austria,  etc.  etc. 
He  was  born  in  the  City  of  Dresden  on  the  26th  of 
May,  1700,  and  on  the  same  day  was  baptized  in  the 
presence  of  several  sponsors,  among  whom  was  Dr. 
Spener.  His  father  died  within  a  few  months  after 
his  birth ;  and,  just  before  his  death,  his  infant  son 
was  brought  to  him  to  receive  his  blessing,  but  the 
expiring  parent  exclaimed  when  he  beheld  him : — 
"  My  dear  son,  I  am  expected  to  give  you  my  bless- 
ing, but  you  are  already  happier  than  I,  although  I 
am  nearly  at  the  throne  of  Christ !" 

In  1704  his  mother  married  a  second  time,  when 
the  youth  was  placed  under  the  care  of  his  grand- 
mother, the  widow  Henriette,  of  Gersdorf,  who  lived 


ZINZENDOKF.  61 

at  Groshennersdorf.  She  was  a  lady  of  distinguished 
piety  and  acquirements,  which  were  even  of  a  classi- 
cal order,  as  we  are  told  of  her  having  conducted 
considerable  epistolary  correspondence  in  the  Latin 
language,  and  was  in  constant  communication  with 
Franke,  Spener,  Anton,  Von  Canstein,  and  other 
men  of  their  class.  She  was,  at  the  same  time,  a 
poetess,  and,  like  many  of  her  cotemporaries,  pos- 
sessed the  ready  gift  of  rendering  her  Christian 
feelings  in  German  verse.  Happily  the  young  noble- 
man, until  his  tenth  year,  remained  under  the  protec- 
tion of  this  superior  woman,  and  during  the  course  of 
these  innocent  days  at  Groshennersdorf,  many  little 
incidents  are  related,  which  illustrate  the  quality  of 
his  mind,  and  point  to  the  leading  aim  and  direction 
of  his  future  character. 

It  is  said  that  when  the  army  of  Charles  XII.  of 
Sweden  penetrated  into  Saxony,  some  of  his  soldiers 
intruded  upon  the  privacy  of  Hennersdorf  Castle 
just  at  the  moment  when  the  young  Zinzendorf  was 
engaged  at  his  wonted*  employment  of  holding  com- 
munion with  his  Saviour  in  the  attitude  of  fervent 
prayer,  and  that  they  were  so  struck  with  the  scene 
before  them,  a  child  of  only  six  years  of  age  exhibit- 
ing such  earnest  devotion,  and  so  sanctified  a  de- 
meanor, that  their  purposes  were  disarmed,  and  they 
joined  in  with  his  devotional  exercises. 

After  this  he  was  removed  to  the  Royal  School  at 
Halle,  under  the  superintendence  of  Franke,  where 
he  was  regarded  as  a  youth  of  great  abilities,  and 


G'2  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

made  rapid  progress  in  learning.  He  could  compose  a 
( « reek  oration  at  sixteen,  and  speak  extemporaneously 
in  Latin  on  a  given  subject.  But  Zinzendorf  s  heart 
ever  kept  pace  with  his  intellect;  and  during  his  six 
years  stay  at  the  University  of  Halle,  the  friend- 
ship of  the  venerable  Franke  fostered  his  early  in- 
clinations, already  nurtured  and  encouraged  by  his 
grandmother,  and  the  association  with  his  school  com- 
panions gave  rise  to  the  institution  among  a  select 
number  of  them,  known  as  the  "Senfkorn  Orden," 
or  the  "Order  of  the  Mustard  Seed."  The  statutes 
of  this  order  are  still  extant,  and  their  purport  is, 
"to  follow  Christ  in  walk  and  conversation,  to  love 
your  neighbor,  and  strive  for  the  conversion  of  Jews 
and  heathen."  The  badge  was  a  shield,  bearing 
upon  it  the  representation  of  an  uEcce  Homo"  with 
the  words  inscribed  on  it,  "His  wounds  our  heal- 
ing." Baron  Frederick  de  Watte ville  was  among  the 
members  of  the  union,  and  he,  together  with  many 
others  of  its  chosen  number,  became  a  devoted  fol- 
lower of  the  cause  it  represented. 

Growing  apace  in  Christian  love,  and  adorned  with 
the  accomplishments  of  mind  which  he  received  at 
Halle,  the  Count  was  now  sent  to  the  University 
of  Wittenberg  to  learn  jurisprudence.  It  was  cus- 
tomary for  persons  of  his  rank  to  go  through  the  in- 
cidental practices  of  fencing,  riding,  and  dancing, 
studies  that  were  little  in  accordance  with  his  tastes, 
and  while  undergoing  their  initiation,  he  prayed  that 
the  Lord  might  quicken  his  capacity  for  them,  to 


Z1NZEND0RF.  G3 

enable  him  the  sooner  to  pass  through  them.  His 
poetical  inclination  evinced  itself  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years,  from  which  time,  throughout  the  years  de- 
voted to  his  education,  he  wrote  verses,  expressive 
of  the  same  sentiment  found  throughout  the  memoirs 
of  his  whole  inner  life.  His  course  at  Wittenberg 
lasted  three  years,  and  during  this  time  he  devoted 
a  large  part  of  his  attention  to  theological  pursuits. 
and  the  disputations  in  which  the  theologians  of 
Halle  and  Wittenberg  were  at  issue;  and  having 
closed  his  career  there,  he  was  placed  under  the 
tutelage  of  a  new  preceptor,  and  commenced  his 
travels. 

He  went  to  Holland,  and,  on  his  way  thither,  pass- 
ing through  Dusseldorf,  saw  among  the  paintings  of 
that  school  an  JEJcce  Homo,  with  this  inscription,  "I 
have  done  this  for  thee,  what  wilt  thou  do  for  me?" 
It  made  a  singular  impression  upon  him,  and  was  the 
subject  of  immediate  prayer. 

From  Holland  he  proceeded  to  Paris,  and  here, 
having  been  introduced  into  gay  society,  he  found 
himself  surrounded  with  all  its  fascinations.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  prestige  of  rank,  Zinzendorf*  person 
and  lineament  of  countenance,  with  its  mild  benig- 
nity, must  have  rendered  all  the  higher  circles  acces- 
sible to  him,  and  we  find  in  the  account  given  of  his 
Parisian  life,  that  he  was  everywhere  a  welcome 
and  a  courted  guest.  His  friendships  here  were  not 
only  cultivated  among  the  secular  classes,  but  he 
found  himself  mingled  with  the  Catholic  clergy,  and, 


(J4  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

of  those,  one  of  his  most  intimate  associates  was  the 
Cardinal  de  Noailles.  The  Catholics  used  strong 
persuasions  to  draw  him  over  to  themselves,  and  long 
discussions  ensued  between  the  young  Count  and  the 
Cardinal,  without,  however,  alluring  him  from  pre- 
conceived ideas,  or  his  own  forms  of  uttering  Christ's 
love  and  sacrifice,  which  he  found  more  congenial 
than  those  in  the  sensuous  glare  of  the  Roman  wor- 
ship, as  presented  to  his  mind  and  imagination. 

He  soon  left  Paris  and  its  seductive  influences, 
and,  returning  to  Saxony  by  way  of  Bavaria,  he  went 
through  Castell,  where  he  visited  his  aunt,  the  Coun- 
tess of  Castell.  This  visit  was  marked  by  one  of  those 
passages  in  opening  manhood,  where  the  early  affec- 
tions come  into  play,  and  in  which  Zinzendorf  ex- 
hibited himself  in  all  his  fullness.  The  opening  of  this 
scene  in  the  young  Count's  life  was  an  acquaintance 
with  his  cousin,  Theodora,  daughter  of  the  widow  of 
Castell.  The  casual  acquaintance  ripened  into  an  af- 
fection, which,  from  the  details  of  that  episode  in  the 
biography  handed  down  to  us  by  his  friend,  Spangen- 
berg,  in  which  the  confessions  are  artlessly  given  by 
the  Countess  herself,  forty  years  afterwards,  appears 
to  have  been  more  strongly  developed  on  his  part  than 
on  her  own.  The  aged  Countess  relates  how,  at  the 
time  of  her  first  intimacy  with  her  youthful  and  ar- 
dent cousin,  she  received  him  in  the  most  cordial  and 
affectionate  manner,  giving  him  her  miniature  at  his 
departure,  and  expressing  the  wish  of  a  speedy  re- 
newal of  his  visit. 


ZINZENDORF.  65 

This  he  misunderstood  as  a  tacit  acquiescence  in 
the  proposals  he  had  indirectly  made,  under  the  smiles 
of  the  mother  of  Theodora.  The  young  lady  herself, 
however,  experienced  no  feelings  other  than  those  of 
a  kinswoman's  ordinary  affection,  and  was  afterwards 
deeply  grieved  that  she  had  given  her  young  cousin 
cause  for  hope.  They  parted  from  each  other  in  this 
state  of  feeling,  and  Zinzendorf  happening  to  visit 
Count  Henry  Reuss,  in  Ebersdorf,  learned,  in  the 
course  of  familiar  conversation,  that*  the  latter  was 
about  choosing  a  wife,  that  his  mother  had  set  her 
heart  upon  Theodora  of  Castell,  as  a  suitable  consort 
for  him,  but  that  she  had  waived  this  choice  altogether, 
knowing  that  Zinzendorf  had  made  the  first  claim  in 
that  direction.  He  now  showed  the  strong  bent  of 
his  character,  put  his  faith  in  practice,  regarded  the 
event  as  the  Divine  finger  pointing  to  him  some  other 
destiny  as  his  connubial  allotment,  and  voluntarily 
offered  to  sacrifice  to  his  friend  all  his  preconceived 
affections  for  the  lady,  who  thence  became  the  wife 
of  Count  Reuss,  and  whose  nuptials  were  celebrated 
by  Zinzendorf  himself  in  prayers  and  hymns. 

On  his  return  to  Dresden,  his  rank  entitled  him  to 
certain  civil  offices  under  government,  but  he  felt  such 
an  extreme  repugnance  to  all  secular  employment  that 
it  was  long  before  he  could  be  prevailed  on  to  accept 
a  seat  in  the  public  councils,  under  the  title  of  Aulic 
and  Justicial  Counsellor;  but  at  the  very  moment  he 
was  assuming  this  official  dignity  in  the  State,  he  re- 


66  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

solved  to  make  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  the  des- 
tiny of  his  future  life. 

Having  then  engaged  some  assistants  in  the  -work, 
he  commenced  a  system  of  religious  instruction,  and 
held  regular  devotional  meetings.  He  was  so  fully 
absorbed  in  this  one  purpose,  that  everything  else 
was  made  subservient  to  it,  and  when  he  found  that 
the  claims  of  rank  became  a  restraint  upon  the  obli- 
gations of  an  apostle  of  Christ,  he  felt  anxious  to  set 
aside  his  worldly  titles,  and  sink  to  the  level  of  an 
ordinary  citizen. 

In  1732  he  was  married  to  the  Countess  Erdmuth 
Dorothea  von  Reuss,  sister  of  Henry  von  Reuss,  to 
whom  allusion  has  just  been  made  in  the  incidents  of 
Castell.  This  noble  lady  possessed  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  of  the  highest  order,  making  her  deserving 
of  the  most  conspicuous  place  in  the  biography  of  Mo- 
ravian women.  She  was  well  fitted  for  the  work  she 
was  entering  upon,  as  the  wife  of  Zinzendorf,  and  the 
circumstances  of  their  marriage  were  unusual  and 
unprecedented  in  the  history  of  all  similar  contracts. 
After  transferring  to  her  all  his  property,  he  entered 
into  a  covenant  with  his  youthful  partner,  that  they 
should  both  be  ready,  at  a  moment's  warning  from 
the  Lord,  to  enter  upon  the  mission,  take  up  the  pil- 
grim's staff,  and  ever  be  prepared  to  endure  the 
scoffs  of  mankind.  How  implicitly  they  mutually 
fulfilled  this  heavenly  pledge  is  seen  in  the  sequel  of 
their  lives. 

Previous  to  his  marriage  the  Count  had  entered 


ZIXZEXDORF.  67 

upon  his  duties  as  proprietor  of  the  manor  and  es- 
tates of  Berthelsdorf,  on  which  occasion  he  was  pro- 
claimed lord  of  the  manor,  and  received  the  usual 
tributes  of  respect  and  homage  from  the  vassals  occu- 
pying them.  These,  as  before  described,  lay  in 
Upper  Lusatia,  and  had  been  purchased  by  Zinzen- 
dorf,  after  selling  his  hereditary  property,  out  of  a 
large  portion  of  which  he  had  been  defrauded  through 
the  unfaithfulness  of  a  steward. 

Soon  after  this  event,  the  arrival  of  Christian 
David  and  his  fellow-pilgrims,  exiles  from  Moravia, 
and  the  descendants  of  the  Ancient  Unitas  Fratrum, 
took  place.  Christian  David  himself  was  a  remarka- 
ble man,  and  somewhat  after  the  Count's  own  heart. 
He  was  first  introduced  to  the  notice  of  the  latter  by 
his  steward,  and  permission  was  given  him  and  his 
company  to  take  refuge  at  Berthelsdorf. 

When  Zinzendorf  performed  his  wedding-tour  he 
found  himself  entering,  during  the  darkness  of  night, 
upon  his  own  domain,  and  beheld  at  some  distance 
through  the  trees  a  small  light ;  on  a  nearer  approach, 
he  discovered  it  to  be  the  newly-erected  habitation  of 
the  Moravian  emigrants;  he  descended  from  his  car- 
riage, entered  the  door,  and  joined  the  little  band  in 
fervent  prayer  and  hymns. 

The  sudden  growth  of  the  small  society,  now 
springing  up  around  the  Hutberg,  to  which  the  name 
of  Herrnhut  was  given,  the  warm  spirit  and  some- 
what enthusiastic  disposition  of  the  Count  and  his 
people,  excited  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  the 

7 


68  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

country  around.  "With  this,  however,  slander,  mis- 
representation, and  ill-feeling  were  combined,  lead- 
ing to  a  steady  contest  from  within  a  few  years 
after  the  foundation  of  Herrnhut  until  the  year 
1736,  when  the  government  of  Saxony  deemed  it 
necessary  to  probe  the  truth  of  the  complaints  pro- 
mulgated against  the  Brethren.  The  storm  that  was 
now  about  to  visit  Herrnhut  had  first  gathered 
around  the  head  of  its  founder  himself;  under  the 
pretext  of  his  disseminating  false  doctrines,  his 
enemy,  Count  Bruhl,  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  decree 
from  the  Saxon  government,  banishing  him  from  its 
territory.  This  event,  which  occurred  in  March, 
1736,  was  soon  after  followed  by  a  royal  commission 
sent  to  investigate  the  Herrnhutian  community,  its 
usages,  social  forms,  and  practices.  The  commission 
was  favorably  received,  and  the  results  of  the  ex- 
amination proving  satisfactory,  no  immediate  steps 
were  taken  to  disturb  Herrnhut  and  its  people. 

On  hearing  of  his  banishment,  Count  Wachters- 
bach  gave  Zindendorf  an  invitation  to  occupy  the 
Bonneberg,  whither  he  accordingly  repaired,  accom- 
panied by  his  family,  Christian  David,  De  Watte- 
ville  and  others,  who  formed  his  retinue,  and  called 
themselves  the  Pilgrim  Congregation.  But  before 
they  proceeded  to  the  Bonneberg,  Christian  David 
had  been  sent  to  explore  the  proposed  quarters 
destined  for  the  temporary  sojourn  of  the  exiles, 
and  his  report  to  the  Count  was  made  in  words  as 
little  flattering  as  could  well  be   conceived.      The 


ZINZENDORF.  69 

habitation  was  so  forbidding  that  he  advised  him  not 
to  go  there.  "  Have  you  not  been  in  Greenland, 
Christian?"  asked  the  Count.  "Yes,"  replied  he; 
"if  it  were  but  Greenland." 

The  old  pile  stands  to  this  day  upon  the  summit 
of  a  craggy  eminence,  commanding  a  view  of  the 
town  of  Hanau,  and  of  the  road  over  which  Napoleon 
passed,  on  his  return  from  the  battle  of  Leipsic. 
It  is  an  ancient  ruin,  having  been  founded  at  some 
distant  point  of  time,  when  knight,  baron,  lance  and 
buckler  were  familiar  terms,  and  held  their  sway 
over  these  domains.  When  the  Count  and  his  friends 
moved  into  it,  they  found  the  denizens  of  the  gray 
old  castle  a  motley  set  of  Jews,  Separatists,  and 
people  of  every  strange  creed,  who  lived  there  in 
the  capacity  of  peddlers,  mendicants,  and  mechanics, 
and  sheltered  themselves  in  its  dusky  recesses  and 
vacant  halls. 

When  Zinzendorf  and  his  suite  made  their  first 
entrance  into  this  singular  abode,  the  inhabitants  of 
the  place  presented  to  the  newly  arrived  pilgrims  a 
most  repulsive  and  cheerless  appearance,  and  we 
may  readily  fancy  the  character  of  the  scene  pre- 
sented at  the  moment  when  they  landed  at  the 
threshold  of  that  old  feudal  structure.  In  spite, 
however,  of  all  discouragements,  the  Ronneberg  be- 
came and  remained  the  dwelling-place  of  the  Pilgrim 
Congregation,  and  it  was  .here  the  Count  entered 
upon  his  first  term  of  banishment.  The  chief  em- 
ployment of  himself  and  followers  was  to  teach  the 


70  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

children  loitering  around  the  premises  they  occupied; 
then  a  small  congregation  was  formed,  out  of  which  the 
larger  communities  of  the  "Wetterau  grew  up  in  suc- 
ceeding years,  known  as  Marienborn  and  Herrnhaag. 
This  portion  of  Germany  was  favorable  to  the  rise 
and  progress  of  an  early,  imaginative,  and  over- 
excited Moravianism,  having  been  the  field  of  the 
activity  of  Spener,  whose  influence  was  strongly  felt 
in  the  formation  of  these  congregations. 

Duly  settled  at  the  Ronneberg,  and  having  ar- 
ranged the  affairs  of  his  congregation,  which  was 
greatly  augmenting,  the  Count  commenced  traveling 
from  place  to  place,  enlarging  the  sphere  of  his 
labors.  At  this  time  he  was  wont  to  travel  by  what- 
ever mode  he  found  most  convenient — frequently  by 
the  public  coach,  often  on  foot;  and,  in  his  inter- 
views with  persons  with  whom  he  delighted  to  as- 
sociate, he  sometimes  conversed  for  ten  hours  in 
succession.  In  these  journeyings,  he  would  fre- 
quently set  out  in  the  afternoon  and  pursue  his 
rambles  till  midnight,  often  with  an  empty  purse. 

One  of  the  characteristic  incidents  of  this  period 
was  his  interview  with  the  King  of  Prussia.  During 
his  stay  at  Berlin,  Frederick  William  I.  desired  to 
see  him,  and,  through  his  chaplain,  Jablonsky,  ap- 
pointed the  place  of  conference  at  the  royal  hunting 
lodge  of  Wusterhausen.  He  questioned  the  Count  as 
to  all  the  various  points  of  doctrine  he  held,  and  upon 
finding,  from  the  nature  of  his  replies,  that  they 


ZINZEXDORF.  71 

were  pure  and  unimpeachable,  he  declared  he  had  been 
deceived  by  the  numerous  false  reports  he  had  heard, 
and  became  his  sincere  friend,  corresponding  with 
him  until  his  death,  in  1740.  It  was  one  year  after 
the  interview  that  the  king  himself  requested  Jab- 
lonsky  to  confer  the  episcopal  ordination  upon  him, 
which  took  place  at  his  subsequent  visit  to  Berlin. 
in  1737. 

During  the  year  1736  he  is  seen  in  England, 
seeking  the  friendship  of  the  venerable  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  John  Potter.  This  dignitary  dis- 
closed the  most  liberal  sentiments  toward  the  Count 
and  the  Brethren,  acknowledging  their  claims  to  an 
uninterrupted  line  of  bishops,  since  the  days  of  the 
AValdenses,  and  charging  them  to  preserve  the  jewel 
that  had  thus  fallen  to  their  inheritance.  He  re- 
marked, at  the  same  time,  to  Bishop  Nitschmann, 
that  no  Englishman,  versed  in  ecclesiastical  history, 
could  deny  the  episcopal  succession  of  the  Brethren, 
a  point  on  the  authenticity  of  which  they  have 
always  laid  great  stress,  as  strengthening  the  claims 
of  their  little  Bohemian  and  Moravian  church  to  the 
purity  of  its  origin. 

In  the  year  1737,  being  fifteen  months  after  his 
departure  from  Herrnhut,  he  was  once  more  recalled 
to  Saxony,  and  permission  was  given  him  to  remain 
under  certain  conditions.  The  Count  was  happy  to 
find  himself  again  at  Herrnhut,  the  first  seat  of  his 
early  spiritual  love;  met  his  congregation,  and  sung, 

7* 


72  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

in  the  fervor  of  the  moment,  one  of  his  frequent 
improvisations, — 

"Zufriedene  Gemeine, 
In  Jesu  Blute  reine." 

But  his  conscience  would  not  allow  him  to  sign  the 
act  of  his  recall,  and  he  thenceforth  became  a  volun- 
tary exile  for  the  ten  succeeding  years.  The  early 
portion  of  the  ensuing  year  was  spent  in  Berlin,  where 
he  preached  to  multitudes  of  people  of  all  classes 
and  conditions ;  and  his  discourses  held  in  this  city 
are  among  his  most  esteemed  productions.  They 
were  taken  down  by  John  De  Watteville,  afterwards 
his  son-in-law,  and  preserved  among  his  writings. 

In  the  year  1739,  we  find  Zinzendorf  in  the  Island 
of  St.  Thomas,  where  the  efforts  of  the  Moravian 
Brethren  were  not  a  little  frustrated  by  the  com- 
bined opposition  they  met  with  from  the  authorities 
of  the  island.  The  negroes  themselves  readily  ac- 
cepted the  ministrations  of  the  missionaries,  and  the 
Count  found  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  congregation 
of  seven  hundred  souls.  In  two  days  after  his  ar- 
rival, he  made  himself  conversant  with  the  Creole 
language,  and  preached  to  and  wrote  for  the  negroes 
in  their  own  tongue.  Leaving  St.  Thomas  with  a 
parting  address  in  his  usual  pathetic  vein,  he  re- 
turned by  way  of  the  islands  of  St.  John  and  St. 
Croix,  visiting  the  graves  of  those  martyrs  who  had 
already  fallen  in  the  service  of  the  Lord,  victims  to 
the  West  Indian  climate.     During  his  stay  in  St. 


ZINZENDOHF.  73 

Eustatia,  he  found  time  to  compose  one  of  his  most 
admired  hymns, — 

"  The  Saviour's  blood  and  righteousness 
My  beauty  is,  my  glorious  dress." 

In  an  extremely  shattered  state  of  health,  the 
consequence  of  the  voyage  to  the  West  Indies,  he 
returned  to  Marienborn,  in  the  Wetterau,  whence, 
after  being  reinstated  in  health,  he  again  set  out 
on  his  travels  through  Germany  and  Switzerland, 
preaching  in  almost  every  place  through  which  he 
passed.  In  traversing  the  Black  Forest,  he  saw  the 
Cloister  of  St.  George,  and  his  fancy  suggested  that 
here  a  Moravian  station  might  be  established.  The 
idea  was  never  realized;  but  it  is  worthy  of  note,  in 
connection  with  this  incident,  that  in  1809  the  town 
of  Konigsfeld1  was  built  on  the  same  eminence,  at 
only  three  miles  distance  from  that  cloister. 

In  the  winter  of  1741,  we  once  more  find  the 
Count  crossing  the  sea,  and  landing  at  New  York, 
accompanied  by  his  daughter  Benigna,  Anna  Nitsch- 
mann  and  others,  on  his  way  to  the  infant  colony 
which  had  gathered  together  at  Bethlehem,  and  had 
taken  refuge  in  the  small  log  dwelling  on  the  banks 
of  the  Lehigh.  His  mission  to  America,  at  this 
time,  was  one  of  extreme  hazard,  as  Pennsylvania, 

1  Described  in  an  interesting  work  that  has  just  appeared, 
entitled  "  An  English  Girl's  Account  of  a  Moravian  Settle- 
ment in  the  Black  Forest."     London,  1857. 


74      MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

the  scene  of  his  labors,  in  those  parts  whither  his 
mission  directed  him,  was  mostly  inhabited  by 
Indians. 

Having  joined  in  the  celebration  of  Christmas 
Eve  at  Bethlehem,  the  Count  set  out  in  the  following 
year,  1742,  on  his  three  Indian  journeys,  with  no 
other  companions  than  his  daughter  Benigna,  Anna 
Nitschmann,  two  other  sisters,  and  eleven  brethren, 
some  of  whom  spoke  English  and  Dutch,  together 
with  Conrad  Weiser,  the  colonial  interpreter.  These 
Indian  excursions  were  full  of  adventure.  The  shel- 
ter for  the  night  was  usually  under  pitched  tents ; 
the  company  forded  streams  with  their  horses, 
climbed  up  pathless  hills,  and  suffered  all  the  dis- 
comforts of  a  rude  and  savage  country.  The  first 
of  these  three  Christian  embassies  to  the  Indians 
was  to  Meniolagomekah,  the  settlement  of  the  Dela- 
wares,  but  before  proceeding  thither  they  paid  a  visit 
to  the  Indian  Patemi,  who  lived  near  Nazareth, 
spoke  English  well,  and  made  them  acquainted  with 
the  rites,  ceremonies  and  customs  of  his  nation. 

His  second  journey  was  to  Shekomeko,  where  the 
Mohicans  dwelt,  on  the  boundaries  of  New  York 
and  Connecticut,  among  whom  he  baptized  six  con- 
verts. His  sojourn  under  the  tent  of  bark,  provided 
for  him  by  the  missionary  Rauch,  in  the  depth  of  a 
primeval  forest,  was  to  him  one  of  unusual  enjoy- 
ment, and  he  described  the  days  and  nights  spent 
amid  these  associations  as  the  most  pleasant  of  his 


ZINZENDORF.  75 

life.  This  was  the  first  Indian  congregation,  and 
consisted  of  ten  persons. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  he  undertook  his 
third  and  last  journey  among  the  Shawanese,  and 
rapaired  to  their  principal  village  Wajomick  (Wyom- 
ing) on  the  Susquehanna.  He  was  accompanied  by 
two  converted  Indians,  Conrad  Weiser,  and  a  few 
other  friends.  It  was  the  most  perilous  of  his  Indian 
adventures.  The  Shawanese  themselves  were  a  treach- 
erous tribe,  and,  during  the  absence  of  Weiser,  im- 
bibing some  suspicions  against  the  Count  and  his 
party,  they  laid  a  scheme  to  murder  them  all.  It 
providentially  happened  that  Weiser  had  a  forebod- 
ing of  some  coming  evil,  and  hurried  back  barely  in 
time  to  arrest  the  intended  massacre. 

It  was  on  the  same  occasion  that  the  remarkable 
preservation  of  the  Count  took  place,  when,  on  awak- 
ing in  his  tent  he  found  a  snake  coiled  around  his 
neck,  which  he  removed  with  his  own  hands.  In  those 
rude  times  churches  were  scarce;  the  sanctuary  was 
sought  in  barns  and  private  houses,  and  we  find 
Zinzendorf  holding  forth  the  doctrines  of  Herrnhut 
and  singing  the  hymns  of  his  own  lyre  within  such 
precincts.  He  was  surrounded  and  listened  to  by 
people  of  all  creeds,  as  a  more  heterogeneous  mix- 
ture of  religions  than  was  then  to  be  found  in  Penn- 
sylvania existed  nowhere. 

On  his  appearance  in  Philadelphia,  his  demeanor, 
phraseology,  and  purposes  were  but  ill  understood, 
and  great  misconstruction  was  placed  upon  them. 


TO  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

In  transplanting  Herrnhut  and  Marienborn  to  a 
land  of  such  incongruous  elements,  in  transferrins: 
the  language  and  thoughts  that  there  found  utter- 
ance to  a  new  people,  living  amid  different  associa- 
tions and  feelings  from  those  of  Lusatia,  much 
obloquy  and  ridicule  were  brought  upon  the  newly- 
arrived  Moravian  emigrants.  The  hymns  of  Zinzen- 
dorf,  as  well  as  the  Moravian's  general  mode  of 
expression,  clothed  in  a  literal  translation,  could 
scarcely  be  comprehended,  and,  where  a  natural 
indifference  to  religious  sentiment  existed,  as  was 
usual  among  those  who  showed  the  greatest  cold- 
ness and  opposition  to  him,  he  could  attract  no 
sympathy  nor  receive  any  appreciation. 

The  closing  scene  of  his  labors  in  this  country 
was  witnessed  in  the  newly-built  Moravian  Church 
in  Philadelphia,  where,  on  the  31st  December,  1742, 
before  a  crowded  assembly,  he  preached  on  the  text 
of  the  day,  Mark  xiv.  8 :  "  She  hath  done  what  she 
could,"  etc.  In  this  discourse  he  gave  a  narrative 
of  his  performances  during  his  brief  stay  in  America, 
his  preachings,  his  work  among  the  Indians,  and  the 
establishment  of  numerous  congregations  throughout 
the  province.  At  the  conclusion  of  his  address,  he 
retired  unnoticed  by  the  audience,  in  order  to  avoid 
a  formal  leave-taking,  and  drove  off  in  a  coach,  in 
waiting  for  him,  to  New  York,  to  embark  for  Europe. 

Before  his  departure,  he  called  on  Capt.  Garrison, 
whom  he  had  known  in  St.  Thomas,  and  who  had 
retired  from  service,  and  entreated  him  to  convey 


ZINZENDORF.  77 

him  on  board  his  vessel  home  to  Europe.  The  aged 
seaman  was  loath  to  encounter  the  dangers  of  the 
sea,  and  declined  undertaking  another  voyage.  Zin- 
zendorf  told  him  the  vessel  this  time  would  ride 
safely  through  the  stormy  ocean ;  that  knowing  it, 
he  could  predict  it;  he  persisted  in  his  request,  and 
finally  succeeded  in  surmounting  the  scruples  and 
fears  of  the  aged  Garrison,  who  once  more  assumed 
the  helm.  The  voyage  lasted  six  weeks,  and  was  not 
without  its  perils,  for,  when  near  the  Scilly  Isles, 
a  violent  storm  overtook  them,  and  all  on  board, 
except  Zinzendorf,  gave  themselves  up  for  lost. 
Calm  and  collected,  he  encouraged  the  captain  to 
dismiss  his  fears,  for  that  in  two  hours  the  storm 
would  abate.  The  prediction  was  verified,  for  in  that 
time  the  winds  veered  to  another  quarter,  and  the 
danger  was  over.  Looking  upon  his  prophecy  in  the 
light  of  a  miracle,  Garrison  asked  him  how  he  came 
to  know  all  this.  The  Count  replied  that  for  twenty 
years  he  had  been  in  constant  intercourse  with  his 
Saviour,  that  he  conferred  with  Him,  and  He  gave 
him  to  know,  on  this  occasion,  that  the  storm  would 
cease  in  two  hours. 

The  scene  of  his  exertions  now  were  England  and 
the  Wetterau,  where  we  find  him  engaged  in  the  work 
of  building  up  the  church  which  he  had  been  instru- 
mental in  renewing  in  1722,  and  which  was  taking 
root  in  various  portions  of  England,  America,  Hol- 
land, and  Germany.  The  ten  years  of  his  exile 
expired  in  1747,  and,  according  to   his  prediction, 


78  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

he  once  more  obtained  leave  of  the  Saxon  govern- 
ment to  return  to  Herrnlmt,  which  he  found  growing 
in  size  and  improving  in  the  enjoyment  of  temporal 
and  spiritual  blessings. 

After  the  Count's  return  from  America,  a  serious 
convulsion  commenced  with  the  inner  life  of  the 
Brethren,  which  assumed  a  shape  so  serious  as  to 
threaten  the  whole  fabric  with  dissolution,  and  to 
leave  a  dark  spot  upon  his  memory.  The  Ronneberg 
Castle  had  soon  been  deserted  by  the  pilgrims;  they 
first  wandered  to  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  and  then 
the  Wetteran  became  their  home.  Here  Marienborn 
and  Herrnhaag  were  built  up,  and  remained  the  seat 
of  an  active  Moravianism  until  1750. 

The  history  of  our  people  from  1744  to  1750  is 
characterized  by  much  that  is  open  to  censure,  but 
though  the  outpourings  of  a  misguided  religious 
enthusiasm  marred,  in  a  great  measure,  the  fine 
structure  that  Zinzendorf  had  commenced,  it  finally 
ran  its  course  and  left  some  sterling  results.  This 
epoch  is  commonly  known  as  the  "  Sichtungs  Zeit," 
or  "Sifting  Time"  and  was  marked  by  that  overflow 
of  fervor  and  devotional  playfulness  that  gave  the 
whole  picture  an  air  of  monomania.  Those  un- 
fortunate years,  from  1744  to  1750,  are  strikingly 
recorded  in  the  hymns,  which,  though  expunged 
from  the  manuals  of  the  Brethren  almost  a  century 
ago,  are  still  to  be  found  in  various  hands. 

Zinzendorf  himself  seems  to  have  furnished  the 
incentive  to  this  departure  from  the  spirit  of  a  cor- 


ZINZENDORF.  79 

rcct  religious  discipline,  and  was  afterwards  the 
foremost  to  discover  the  nature  and  real  extent  of 
his  aberrations.  He  says :  "  The  first  opportunity 
for  the  terrible  day  of  ''Sifting'  I  myself  must  have 
given,  and  chiefly  through  the  idea,  ever  present, 
and  from  which  I  never  could  emancipate  myself 
during  my  whole  life,  that  no  state  of  true  Chris- 
tian felicity,  no  full  reliance  on  Christ's  death,  could 
be  realized  unless  the  heart  of  the  whole  congrega- 
tion assumed  the  disposition  of  a  child.  This  idea  be- 
came imprinted  on  me.  On  my  return  from  America, 
I  sought  the  opportunity  of  making  it  evident  to  my 
Brethren.  It  found  ingress  among  them  and  was 
seized  with  avidity.  But  out  of  a  few  would-be 
children  a  large  society  sprung  up,  and  this,  in  some 
years,  sunk  into  a  state  of  degeneracy.  The  source 
of  those  abuses  arose  from  the  views  taken  that  con- 
verted the  simplicity,  uprightness,  and  candor  of  our 
worship  into  a  matter  of  hilarity."  One  of  the  re- 
sults of  the  "Sifting  Time"  was  the  desertion  and 
final  abandonment  of  Herrnhaag,  which  might  be 
considered  one  of  the  finest  towns  of  the  early 
period,  standing  in  view  of  the  Ronneberg,  and 
comprising  nine  hundred  and  fifty  souls. 

In  this  dispersion  of  Herrnhaag  a  better  phase  of 
Moravianism  followed ;  its  people  emigrated  in  large 
numbers  to  America,  and  the  departure  from  the 
memorable  spot  was  signalized  by  hymns  of  sorrow, 
tears,  and  repentance.     The  place  is  now  a  scene  of 

8 


80  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

ruins,  never  having  been  resuscitated  since  1750, 
but  an  inscription  is  still  traced  upon  one  of  its 
dilapidated  doors,  significantly  telling  the  story 
of  its  former  devotion. 

"  Wir  und  des  Lamms  seine  Blutgemein, 
"WoU'n  unaufhorlich  des  Zeugen  seyn, 
Das  im  Opfer  Jesu  allein  zu  finden 
Gnade  und  Freiheit  von  alien  Siinden 
Fiir  alle  Welt." 

Among  the  descendants  of  the  emigrants  from 
Herrnhaag  many  curious  reminiscences  of  its  inner 
events  are  still  preserved,  and  sometimes  related, 
though  with  feelings  of  reserve  and  hesitation. 
Mixed  up  with  the  picture  of  a  strange  infatuation, 
there  are,  however,  in  the  record  of  that  gray  past, 
numerous  beautiful  passages  to  which-  the  old  often 
and  fondly  recur.1 

Before  the  full  reinstatement  of  the  Count  as 
ecclesiastical  head  of  Herrnhut,  another  deputation 
from  the  Saxon  government,  fully  empowered  to  sift 
the  doctrines  of  the  Brethren,  arrived  and  held  coun- 
cil in  the  Castle  of  Hennersdorf.  This  committee 
of  investigation,  in  which  some  of  the  ablest  theo- 
logians were  employed,  was  engaged  fourteen  days, 
and  the  result  was  satisfactory  to  the  royal  deputa- 
tion, for  the  Brethren,  by  a  public  decree,  were  ac- 

1  The  scenes  of  the  Ronneberg,  Herrnhaag,  and  the  AVet- 
terau  are  to  be  found  depicted  in  a  favorite  work  by  Glau- 
brecht,  "Zinzendorf  in  der  }Yetterau." 


ZIXZEXDORF.  81 

knowledged  as  having  henceforth  the  sanction  of  the 
law  in  all  their  proceedings  and  purposes. 

•A  similar  investigation  was  instituted  in  England, 
where  a  public  petition  brought  them  before  the 
notice  of  Parliament.  Long  and  warm  debates  suc- 
ceeded, in  which  Lords  Granville,  Halifax,  and 
Chesterfield,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  the  Duke  of 
Argyle,  took  part,  arguing  the  tenets  of  the  Mo- 
ravians. The  issue  proved  not  only  favorable,  but 
the  arguments  closed  with  the  strongest  recom- 
mendations in  their  favor ;  the  Bishop  of  Worcester 
adding  his  tribute  of  commendation  to  the  people, 
their  cause,  and  their  remarkable  history. 

During  this  epoch,  and,  indeed,  still  later,  similar 
prejudices  induced  the  authorities  in  the  American 
colonies  to  issue  edicts  against  the  Brethren,  which 
lasted,  however,  but  for  a  short  time,  and  always  re- 
acted in  their  favor.  Meanwhile,  numerous  small 
congregations  had  sprung  up  all  around,  which, 
grounded  on  the  principles  of  Herrnhut,  and  endowed 
with  all  the  Christian  earnestness  and  warmth  of  the 
first  Lusatian  congregation,  have  outlived  the  tem- 
pests of  time,  and  stand  unscathed  to  this  day. 

The  enlargement  of  the  society,  the  increase  of  the 
missions,  and  all  incidental  disbursements,  brought 
on,  toward  the  year  1750,  severe  financial  difficul- 
ties. The  Count  had,  as  we  have  seen,  transferred 
the  proprietorship  of  the  estates  of  Berthelsdorf  to 
his  wife,  who  administered  his  property  with  great 
prudence  and  forethought.     But  through  the  con- 


82       MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

nection  of  the  Brethren  with  the  Jew  Gomez  Serra, 
and  many  unjustifiable  expenditures  during  the 
residence  of  the  Count  at  the  Lindsay  House,  in 
London,  with  his  suite  of  fellow-laborers,  called 
the  Pilgrim  Congregation,  the  troubles  that  came 
thickening  upon  him  threatened  to  overwhelm  him 
not  only  with  bankruptcy,  but  even  with  imprison- 
ment. He  had,  during  the  press  of  his  pecuniary 
troubles,  assumed  the  whole  burden  of  the  Bre- 
thren's obligations  upon  himself,  and  put  his  Ger- 
man estates  under  pledge  for  the  final  redemption 
of  all  debts  incurred.  But  these  would  not  have 
sufficed  to  meet  all  the  liabilities  that  weighed  upon 
them,  had  not  the  timely  aid  of  devoted  friends,  and 
particularly  those  from  Holland,  come  to  the  rescue. 

During  the  first  eight  months  of  the  year  1756, 
he  resided  in  his  own  house  at  Berthelsdorf,  where 
some  of  the  best  discourses  of  his  later  life  were 
held,  bearing  the  impress  of  that  beautiful-simplicity 
which  betokened  the  "  Disciple,"  the  appellation  now 
bestowed  upon  him  by  the  flock  that  reverenced  and 
loved  him. 

The  death  of  the  Countess,  which  occurred  four 
years  before  his  own,  was  a  bereavement  that  fell 
heavily  upon  the  Count ;  and  although  he  found  a 
second  wife  in  Anna  Nitschmann,  who,  in  a  spiritual 
sense,  may  have  been  able  to  take  the  place  of  the 
departed  Erdmuth  Dorothea,  yet  the  position  of  the 
latter  seems  not  to  have  been  wholly  filled  by  her 
successor. 


ZINZENDORF.  83 

With  his  newly  married  wife,  his  son-in-law  De 
Watteville,  and  his  daughters  Benigna  and  Eliza- 
beth, he  now  set  out  once  more  on  a  tour  to  Swit- 
zerland, passing  through  Barby,  Marienborn,  and 
Basle,  and  thence  to  Montmirail  on  Lake  Neuf- 
chatel.  Here  he  gathered  a  host  of  friends  around 
him;  thence  he  proceeded  to  Geneva  and  most  of 
the  principal  Swiss  towns ;  but  feeling  the  symptoms 
of  approaching  disease,  he  hastened  homeward,  and 
reached  Herrnhut  early  in  the  following  year,  1758. 

His  final  tour  was  made  in  1759  to  Holland, 
where  he  devoted  his  thoughts  to  the  inner  life  of 
the  true  missionary,  and  spoke  and  wrote  in  the  most 
expressive  and  artless  language  on  the  duties^obli- 
gations  and  aims  of  the  faithful  evangelist.  In  the 
same  year,  he  received  a  friendly  epistle  from  the 
Coptic  Patriarch  of  Cairo,  to  which  he  responded  in 
the  most  Christian  terms,  giving,  in  answer  to  his 
request,  an  account  of  the  history  and  doctrines  of 
the  Brethren. 

Although  the  life  of  the  "Disciple"  was  now  fast 
waning,  yet  his  application  to  the  cause  of  his  peo- 
ple was  unabated.  During  the  last  four  months 
preceding  his  death,  he  held  one  hundred  and 
twenty  discourses,  and  he  spoke,  composed  hymns 
and  songs  on  themes  which  nourished  his  heart, 
almost  up  to  his  latest  hours. 

Zinzendorf 's  death  occurred  on  the  9th  of  May, 
1760,  and  the  accompaniments  of  this  event  were 
characteristic  of  the  people  and  customs  of  that  day. 
8* 


84  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

Lying  calm  and  resigned  on  a  low  couch1  in  his 
house  at  Berthelsdorf,  where  he  had  dwelt  during 
the  early  years  of  Herrnhut,  lie  was  visited  in  the 
closing  hours  of  his  illness  by  a  large  number  of 
anxious  friends,  with  whom  he  conversed  to  the  last. 
The  moments  of  his  final  departure  cast  that  shadow 
of  grief  upon  Herrnhut  that  was  at  all  times  pe- 
culiar to  the  sorrow  of  the  older  Moravian,  a  sorrow 
mixed  with  hope,  a  cloud  illumined  by  sunshine. 

His  body  lay  for  several  days  in  the  church  at 
Herrnhut,  where  crowds  came  to  visit  it  and  to  con- 
template the  earthly  form  of  one  whose  presence, 
while  living,  infused  its  paternal  tenderness  among 
then^all.  To  render  the  occasion  impressive,  music 
was  performed  during  the  whole  time,  six  Brethren 
sitting  around  the  corpse,  who  were  relieved  by  six 
others  every  hour.2  The  funeral  ceremonies  were 
accompanied  with  all  the  impressive  forms  that  dis- 
tinguished the  burials  at  Herrnhut;  the  body  was 
borne  to  the  cemetery  by  thirty-two  of  the  clergy, 
who  happened  to  be  present,  and  had  come  from 
various  parts  of  the  world,  sixteen  sharing  the  office 
by  turns.  More  than  two  thousand  persons  formed 
the  procession,  and  as  many  more  witnessed  the 
scene  as  spectators.      The  final  surrender  of  the 

1  The  bedstead  is  preserved  at  Herrnhut. 

2  The  performance  of  music  during  the  exhibition  of  the 
remains  was  usual  on  extraordinary  occasions.  It  formed  a 
portion  of  the  obsequies  of  Spangenberg,  who  lay  in  state  at 
Berthelsdorf.     (See  Spangenberg.) 


ZIXZEXDORF.  85 

body  to  the  earth  was  a  moment  of  intense  feeling, 
and  long  treasured  up  among  the  recollections  of 
those  who  survived  the  memorable  day. 

In  the  archives  of  Herrnhut  are  still  to  be  seen 
many  of  the  memorials  of  Zinzendorf's  life,  illus- 
trating his  peculiarities  of  thought  and  habits,  paint- 
ings of  scenes  in  his  family  and  his  lineage,  and 
portraits  of  nearly  all  his  distinguished  relatives. 
Among  the  relics  deposited  there  and  exhibited  by 
one  of  his  still  surviving  descendants,  the  archivist 
Von  Schweinitz,  is  his  Text-book,  filled  with  pencil 
notes.  This  manual  was  his  constant  companion. 
The  dignitary  of  the  archives  shows  you,  at  the 
same  time,  the  three  lots  held  in  a  small  case,  which 
were  carried  in  his  vest  pocket,  and  used  on  every 
occasion,  where  the  will  of  the  Lord  was  referred  to. 
This  species  of  communion  with  his  divine  Master 
was  so  blended  with  his  character,  that,  like  most 
individuals  of  a  high  spiritual  cast,  the  whole  outer 
seemed  to  be  absorbed  by  an  inner  life.  In  applying 
his  talents  to  spiritual  themes,  he  became  a  sacred 
poet  of  a  high  order.  His  imagery  and  figures,  though 
few,  and  limited  to  the  purposes  of  a  single  and  all- 
engrossing  subject,  are  finely  chosen,  and,  if  we 
except  the  effusions  of  that  short  period  when  his 
music  rioted  in  the  puerilities  of  Herrnhaag  and  de- 
parted from  decorum,  his  hymns  have  grown  in  the 
admiration  of  posterity  through  the  lapse  of  the 
century  that  has  now  followed  his  death.  Such  was 
the  facility  with  which  he  composed,  that  he  fre- 


8G  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

qucntly  produced  verses  during  church  service,  as 
the  necessity  of  the  occasion  required;  and  he  is 
known  to  have  poured  forth  eight  improvisations  in 
a  single  day. 

His  sacred  lyrics  are  published  in  a  considerable 
volume,  and  are  placed  among  the  choicest  German 
hymnology.1  In  these  we  find  reflected  Zinzen- 
dorf  's  own  heart  and  being,  his  devotion,  his  reli- 
ance, his  hope,  his  confidential  intercourse  with  the 

1  Knapp,  the  able  author  of  this  compilation,  who  has 
ushered  in  the  hymns  of  Zinzendorf  with  the  most  free  and 
philosophical  views  on  the  true  nature  and  essence  of  this 
department  of  composition,  thus  discourses  upon  his  merits : 

"No  Christian  poet  could,  at  first  sight,  be  less  understood 
or  less  easily  accepted  by  the  reader,  after  turning  aside  from 
the  ordinary  church  hymns  in  vogue,  than  Ziuzendorf ;  and 
yet,  in  giving  utterance  to  my  own  impressions,  I  could  find 
no  sacred  bard  who  offers  to  the  longing  Christian  a  sweeter 
repast,  a  more  glorious  life-scene,  or  a  richer  acquisition. 
As  the  compiler  of  a  hymnology,  in  the  preparation  of  which 
I  have  perused  myriads  of  hymns,  I  must  honestly  confess 
that  no  labor  of  my  past  life  has  been  accomplished  with 
such  joyous  results,  such  an  abiding  heavenly  blessing,  as 
the  elaboration  of  those  apparently  unpoetical  relics  of  this 
child-like  man  of  the  new  Moravian  covenant.  I  entered 
upon  the  work  with  some  degree  of  diffidence ;  I  had  a  pre- 
conceived idea  of  its  monotony,  and  feared  I  should  draw  but 
poor  results.  But  now,  after  it  is  closed,  I  look  upon  the 
sainted  poet  in  quite  another  light.  J  give  to  the  Christian 
world  this  book,  as  an  opus  posthumum,  fully  sensiUe  how 
far  T  stand  in  heavenly  wisdom  below  this  lofty  spirit,  and 
how  much  I  owe  to  God  for  having  been  allowed  the  high 
privilege  of  entering  upon  this  work." 


ZINZENDORF.  87 

Saviour.  All  is  concentrated  in  Christ,  and  his  own 
relations  to  Him  begin  and  terminate  the  great 
body  of  his  hymns.1 

Before  entering  into  the  memoirs  of  Zinzendorf, 
his  portrait,  as  shown  in  correct  and  vivid  delinea- 
tions, furnishes  an  interesting  study,  being  one  of 
the  most  irresistible  countenances  found  in  man.2 
Without  reading  any  written  language  in  elucidation 
of  those  features,  we  peruse  on  their  surface  some- 
thing that  tells  us  their  possessor  must  have  cast 
superior  influences  around  him,  and  that  his  mission 
on  earth  must  have  been  truly  remarkable. 

In  the  sketch  of  Herrnhut,  I  have  referred  to 
the  geniality  that  underlies  the  German  character, 
and  which  is  most  obviously  depicted  in  the  por- 
traiture of  Zinzendorf.*  Here  we  read  neither  the 
ascetic  nor  the  despairing  and  gloomy  pietist,  but 
the  Moravian,  as  he  discloses  himself  at  the  birth-day, 
the  marriage,  and  the  tomb.  Such  a  life  of  love  on 
the  part  of  man,  poured  out  constantly  and  freely 
among  his  fellow-men,  we  never  observe  in  the 
history  of  ordinary  philanthropy,  and  cannot  ac- 
count for  it  but  on  the  principle  of  divine  love, 

1  The  best  period  of  his  hymns  was  1722  to  1740,  and  his 
eccentricities  occupy  the  interval  of  1744  to  1749,  during 
which  there  occurs  an  intermixture  of  various  languages, 
bizarre  comparisons  and  strange  fancies. 

2  For  a  reliable  portrait  I  would  refer  to  Knapp?s  Hymns 
of  Zinzendorf,  in  which  is  a  copy  of  the  painting  from  life, 
executed  by  Kupetsky,  and  formerly  in  possession  of  Lavater. 


88       MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

operating  through  man  and  permeating  all  his  ac- 
tions. That  the  whole  world  did  not  accept  Zin- 
zendorf,  is  a  fact  which  renders  his  character  a*nd 
the  tale  of  his  life  so  much  the  more  interesting. 
Coming  out  of  a  class  of  society  from  which  few 
Christian  apostles  ever  emerge,  he  was  regarded  as 
a  strange  phenomenon,  and,  from  the  originality  of 
his  manner,  and  the  fearlessness  of  his  course,  in 
proclaiming  Christ,  his  motives  could  not  at  all  times 
be  comprehended  or  entered  into  by  society  at  large. 
To  comprehend  him  and  to  enter  into  him,  form  the 
great  distinctive  contrasts  of  mind  and  heart,  intel- 
lect and  emotion,  which  I  have  proposed  as  the 
leading  thought  in  the  estimate  of  Zinzendorf,  Herrn- 
hut,  and  the  Moravian  character.  Zinzendorf  has, 
for  a  century  past,  been  the  subject  of  study,  of 
portraiture,  of  idealisms,  of  poetical  imitation,  and  of 
fiction.  In  all  those  attempts  of  philosophical  and 
poetical  minds  to  portray  the  being  of  pure  devo- 
tion, the  man  of  philanthropic  love,  of  unalloyed 
faith,  to  borrow  the  tones  of  his  harp  and  accommo- 
date them  to  a  more  polished  style  of  thought,  the 
mind  chiefly  is  called  in  play. 

Goethe,  whom  I  shall  again  have  an  opportunity 
of  referring  to,  has  adapted  the  Zinzendorfian  wor- 
ship to  his  purpose  in  this  way,  applying  his  art  to 
a  subject  which  he  thoroughly  comprehended,  but 
out  of  which  he  could  create  no  embodiment  for  his 
own  soul.  Herder,  in  his  Adrastsea,  holds  up  a 
spiritual  image  of  Zinzendorf,  and  expatiates  upon 


ZIXZEXDOKF. 


89 


his  hymns,  as  the  production  of  a  ductile  language 
and  filled  with  the  riches  of  a  heart-melody  such  as 
cannot  elsewhere  be  found.  Novalis,  the  sensitive 
but  short-lived  poet  and  philosophic  novelist,  born 
under  a  Moravian  roof  and  nurtured  in  its  usages, 
devoted  much  of  his  later  life  to  Zinzendorf  the 
poet,  and  Zinzendorf  the  divine. 

Besides  these  names  of  wide  repute  and  popu- 
larity, there  is  quite  an  array  of  writers,  who  took 
up  the  subject  of  Zinzendorf,  aesthetically  and  phi- 
losophically ;  all  regarding  the  subject  from  the 
stand-point  of  art,  fiction,  poetry  or  theological 
-abstraction.  But  the  entrance  into  Zinzendorf  is 
given  to  minds  of  a  different  class  from  those 
idealists :  it  is  approached  by  the  medium  of  a 
purely  emotional  Christianity,  and  though  the  critic 
may  imagine  he  knows,  comprehends,  and  feels  the 
self-same  emotions  as  the  "Disciple"  knew  and  felt, 
he  will  find,  upon  a  closer  analysis,  that  he  is  yet 
afar  off  from  him.  None  have  given  so  full  an  in- 
terpretation of  him  and  all  the  inner  meanings  that 
his  hymns  express,  as  the  Moravian  writers,  who, 
divesting  the  matter  of  all  rhetorical  criticism,  have 
employed  the  evangelical  style  itself,  in  which  the 
"Disciple"  thought,  and  seized  the  ideas  in  which 
he  lived.  Of  such  men  I  may  name  Gottfried 
Clemens  and  Bishop  Albertini,  as  well  as  Schrau- 
te^bach,  his  early  friend  and  companion. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  that  time  has  not  cast  its 
shadows  over  the  "memory  of  Zinzendorf,  but  appears 


90  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

to  bring  out  in  bolder  relief  the  worth  of  his  doc- 
trines, and  the  beauty  of  his  poetry.  After  the 
latter  had  lain  in  scattered  fragments,  some  in  the 
Brethren's  hymn-books  and  some  in  manuscripts 
throughout  the  archives,  for  eighty  years,  the  in- 
defatigable compiler  already  quoted,  assumed  the 
work  and  gave  to  the  notice  of  the  world  what  it 
never  knew  it  possessed. 

These  hymns  have  been  adopted  by  other  sects, 
and  their  imitations  will  be  found  in  the  collections 
of  sister  churches  in  this  country,  although  their 
rendering  in  English  is  but  an  imperfect  substitute 
for  the  original  German  thought  and  form  of  a  Zin-, 
zendorlian  theology. 

In  his  personal  appearance,  Zinzendorf  was  dig- 
nified and  commanded  respect;  but  in  the  details 
of  his  attire,  he  showed  great  indifference  and  needed 
but  a  scanty  wardrobe.  He  was  generally  averse  to 
ostentation  in  the  selection  of  his  residence.  The 
mansion  now  standing  at  Berthelsdorf,  and  known 
as  the  "Schloss,"  was,  while  he  occupied  it,  but  a 
modest  building ;  and  during  a  long  time  he  retired 
into  obscure  and  quiet  quarters  to  pursue  his  medi- 
tations and  work  out  the  mission  of  his  life.  He 
rarely  required  attendants,  and  when  he  did,  these 
were  generally  persons  employed  in  other  offices. 
All  his  income  was  devoted  to  the  purposes  of  his 
cherished  fondling,  the  church ;  and  we  are  told  by 
one  of  his  most  intimate,  devoted,  and  loving  friends, 
Bishop  Hutton,  of  England,  that  his  own  personal 


ZIXZEXDORF. 


91 


expenses  might  have  been  covered  by  a  yearly 
outlay  of  fifty  pounds. 

Of  his  consort,  Erdmuth  Dorothea,  the  biographer 
of  Zinzendorf  speaks  in  terms  of  the  highest  pane- 
gyric. Although  she  was  the  mother  of  twelve 
children,  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  she  found  time 
to  take  an  active  part  in  the  spread  of  Moravianism 
and  promulgation  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Brethren. 
During  her  husband's  absence  in  America,  we  find 
her  engaged  in  a  mission  to  the  Queen  of  Denmark, 
whom  she  visited  at  her  castle  of  Hirschholm.  She 
tried  to  divest  her,  as  well  as  other  potentates  with 
whom  she  sought  interviews,  of  the  many  miscon- 
ceptions formed  about  Herrnhut  and  the  Count,  and 
upon  this  occasion  found  her  a  most  accessible  per- 
son, and  cordial  in  her  expressions  and  good  wishes 
for  the  Countess  and  her  cause. 

A  similar  errand  tempted  her  to  visit  Russia,  and 
solicit  a  hearing  from  the  empress,  an  enterprise 
which  took  place  in  winter.  Her  lots1  decided, 
however,  that  she  should  not  seek  an  audience  of 
the  empress,  and  disposing  of  her  court-dress,  she 
mounted  her  sledge  and  turned  her  back  upon  St. 
Petersburg.  On  reaching  the  borders  of  the  em- 
pire, she  received  a  summons  to  return,  which  she 
disobeyed. 


1  In  those  days  every  important  step  was  submitted  to  and 
decided  by  lot,  not  only  by  Zinzendorf  himself,  but  by  all 
engaged  in  his  cause. 

9 


92  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

Her  whole  life  was  a  scene  of  activity  either  in 
the  cause  of  Herrnhut  and  its  people,  or  in  the  dis- 
charge of  domestic  duties.  She  was  of  a  feeble 
frame,  yet  of  great  mental  energy,  uniting,  at  the 
same  time,  high  intellectual  powers  with  that  ex- 
treme simplicity  of  thought  and  feeling,  which  dis- 
tinguished so  many  female,  characters  of  her  day  in 
the  Moravian  church.  She  stood  up  ably  and  reso- 
lutely, full  of  counsel  and  resource,  in  the  face  of 
difficulty  and  amid  all  the  embarrassments  by  which 
Zinzendorf  found  himself  at  times  surrounded,  and 
proved  such  an  help-mate  and  heroic  wife,  in  every 
sense  of  the  word,  that  we  need  not  wonder  that  his 
own  eulogium  on  her  character  should  be  so  strongly 
drawn.  Her  time,  love,  and  affections  being  divided 
among  her  own  family  and  her  people,  she  was 
looked  up  to  and  regarded  as  a  mother  and  a  ruler. 
Of  her  numerous  offspring,  nearly  all  died  in  infancy 
and  youth,  (two  of  them  during  her  absence  in  Rus- 
sia,) and  only  three  daughters  survived  her  out  of 
the  twelve  children. 

Like  so  many  distinguished  personages  of  the 
early  church,  the  Countess  Erdmuth  Dorothea  pos- 
sessed the  gift  of  poesy  in  a  remarkable  degree,  and 
her  sacred  lyrics  rank  with  the  ablest  of  those  ef- 
fusions which  had  their  source  in  the  Saviour's  love, 
sufferings,  and  death ;  in  the  life,  joy,  and  anticipa- 
tions of  Christian  faith,  in  the  whole  Zinzendorfian 
sentiment  and  imagery,  which  forms  the  material  of 
our  hymns,  and  their  essential  ground-tone.      Her 


ZINZENDORF.  93 

compositions  are  characterized,  *at  the  same  time,  by 
a  depth  of  conception  and  a  finish  in  form  which 
are  not  easily  found  in  those  of  any  other  of  her 
cotemporaries. 

One  year  after  the  death  of  the  Countess,  Zin- 
zendorf  was  united  in  marriage  with  Anna  Nitsch- 
mann,  and  it  is  a  somewhat  singular  coincidence 
in  the  lives  of  these  two  remarkable  beings,  that 
they  lay  on  the  bed  of  death  at  the  same  time 
and  expired  only  within  twelve  days  of  each  other. 
They  had  wandered  together  through  the  Ame- 
rican forests ;  had  consecrated  the  primitive  log- 
cabin  at  Bethlehem,  by  a  Christmas  Eve  solemnity; 
had  assisted  in  many  of  the  festivals  of  England, 
Marienborn,  and  Herrnhaag ;  had  lived  three  years 
of  wedded  life ;  and  were  laid  side  by  side  in  the 
tomb,  in  the  central  portion  of  the  Hutberg,  almost 
at  the  same  time. 

Anna  Nitschmann  was  in  many  respects  a  re- 
markable personage,  and  attracted  as  much  respect 
and  deference  from  those  who  come  under  her  im- 
mediate influence  as  Zinzendorf  himself.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  old  Father  Nitschmann,1  one  of 
those  original  emigrants  from  Moravia,  who  was 
present  when  the  corner-stone  was  laid  of  the  first 
church  edifice  in  Herrnhut.  His  daughter  Anna  so 
distinguished  herself  by  her  piety  and  example,  that 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  the  Sisters  of  Herrnhut 

1  He  lies  interred  in  the  Bethlehem  cemetery. 


94:  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

chose  her  their  chief  Eldress,  in  which  capacity  she 
drew  upon  herself  the  regard  of  the  sisterhood  of 
Herrnhut  and  Herrnhaag,  at  which  latter  place  she 
resided  during  the  Count's  banishment  from  Lusatia. 
She  was  called  the  "  Mother,"  and  was  one  of  those 
models  of  the  old  Moravian  Sister,  that  have  their 
living  counterparts  in  Europe,  but  are  here  only 
preserved,  either  in  portraits  or  in  the  memory. 
Like  most  of  the  early  Moravians  who  were  instru- 
mental in  building  up  the  church,  her  life  opened  in 
rugged  adversity.  She,  as  well  as  her  countrymen 
of  Moravia,  was  inured  to  labor,  and,  when  a  girl, 
earned  a  livelihood  by  spinning  wool.  Besides  pos- 
sessing a  poetical  nature,  which  has  left  so  many 
beautiful  evidences  behind,  Anna  Nitschmann  was  a 
speaker  on  public  occasions,  and  although  in  those 
days  it  was  required  of  all  in  unofficial  life  to  speak 
and  pray,  yet  for  one  of  her  sex  she  became  emi- 
nent in  the  performance  of  ministerial  duties.  As 
Eldress,  these  abilities  were  called  in  constant  re- 
quisition, the  "Advisers,"  or  those  presiding  over 
the  choirs,  being  charged  with  the  function  of  giving 
confidential  advice  and  exhortation,  as  will  be  re- 
ferred to  under  the  head  of  the  Moravian  Cultus. 

Nearly  a  century  has  elapsed  since  she  and  Zin- 
zendorf  have  been  consigned  to  the  silent  precincts 
of  the  Hutberg,  and  when  that  century  comes  round, 
we  can  fancy  to  ourselves  the  solemnities  of  the  anni- 
versary at  Herrnhut,  and  the  scene  at  the  graves 
of  the   departed.     These   recollections    are   sacred 


ZIXZENDORF.  95 

there,  and  cannot  be  allowed  to  pass  unnoticed,  un- 
felt,  and  unwept.1 


1  The  youthful  Count  Lynar,  who  spent  some  time  at 
Herrnhut,  and  employed  himself  while  there  in  the  instruc- 
tion of  youth,  was  enabled  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  Zinzen- 
dorf  and  his  institutions,  and  although  not  personally  ac- 
quainted with  him,  has  given  us  one  of  the  best  delineations 
of  his  character  we  possess.  In  a  concise  but  able  exposi- 
tion of  the  Herrnhutian  system  and  a  general  review  of 
Moravian  history  up  to  his  time,  1778,  he  thus  speaks  of 
Zinzendorf : — 

"  I  have  never  seen  the  Count,  but  from  his  actions,  his 
writings,  and  the  testimony  of  judicious,  credible,  and  un- 
biased observers,  I  have  arrived  at  the  following  conclusions : 
He  possessed  genius,  yet  it  was  not  universal,  and  only 
allowed  its  development  under  particular  circumstances.  It 
is  a  great  error  to  suppose,  as  many  do,  that  he  would  have 
become  eminent,  as  minister  of  state,  if  he  had  remained  in 
the  discharge  of  civil  pursuits.  These  require  a  moderate 
and  guarded  temperament ;  as  soon  as  the  passions  are  over- 
charged, the  work  they  are  engaged  in  is  ruined.  For  the 
world,  his  address  was  too  straightforward.  He  possessed 
talent,  humor,  and  an  extraordinary  memory.  His  imagina- 
tion was  as  lively  and  as  glowing  as  was  ever  to  be  found  in 
the  human  brain;  it  clung  so  closely  to  the  subjects  toward 
which  it  may  have  been  led,  that  it  pursued  them  into  the  very 
spheres,  where  they  were  finally  lost.  His  mind  was  in  a 
constant  state  of  action  and  excitement.  He  formed  a  reso- 
lution so  quickly,  thought,  spoke,  and  dealt  with  so  much 
decision,  that  there  never  seemed  to  be  any  doubt,  objection, 
or  hindrance  underlying  it.  He  availed  himself  of  various 
languages,  in  order  to  give  readiness  to  his  ideas.  Had  he 
addicted  himself  to  more  cautious  reflection,  he  might  have 
9* 


96  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

escaped  the  charge  of  manifold  contradictions,  and  saved 
himself  the  trouble  of  rendering  so  many  explanations,  and 
writing  so  many  defenses. 

"That  his  judgment  was  not  so  weak  as  many  are  inclined 
to  believe,  is  fully  corroborated  by  the  numerous  correct  and 
rare  views  he  has  taken  of  the  wants  of  his  times.  He  was 
true,  honest  and  sincere ;  qualities  which,  aided  by  his  humor, 
often  served  to  render  his  expressions  naive  and  striking. 
Bold  and  undaunted  in  the  face  of  danger,  he  seems  to  have 
chosen  for  his  motto,  '  tu  contra  audentior  ito.'  In  this  re- 
gard, he  resembled  Luther.  That  ambition  was  his  chief  in- 
centive, and,  as  one  of  his  nearest  female  kindred  imputed  to 
him,  that  he  sought  the  highest  seat  in  the  realm  of  humility, 
I  do  not  believe. 

"Whether,  in  the  course  of  long  and  uninterrupted  success 
in  the  realization  of  so  many  of  his  plans  and  the  surmount- 
ing of  every  difficulty,  some  feelings  of  self-adulation  may 
have  softly  entered  into  his  heart,  and  even  when  rendering 
to  God  the  glory,  the  gentle  thought  of  self  may  have  stolen 
in  and  got  the  upper  hand,  I  will  not  pretend  to  say,  although 
his  tone  and  even  occasional  personal  acknowledgments  in 
his  writings  would  tend  to  show  something  of  this  within  him. 
But  his  ruling  passion  and  the  source  from  which  all  his 
actions  flowed  were,  in  my  view,  his  love  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
a  burning  desire  to  promote  the  happiness  of  mankind. 

"  From  his  early  youth  he  sought  no  pleasure  but  that  of 
spiritual  pursuits,  and  this  remained  the  absorbing  object  of 
his  life.  Some  of  the  circumstances  of  his  education  may 
have  given  rise  to  this,  yet,  disregarding  the  influences  of 
immediate  causes  and  looking  to  a  higher  hand,  which  guides 
and  controls  all  beneath  it ;  weighing  the  various  and  widely 
disseminated  benefits  imparted  to  both  church  and  state  by 
the  exertions  of  Count  Zinzendorf,  and  the  bulwark  they 
have  established  for  the  Christian  and  good  citizen  against 
vice  and  infidelity,  I  cannot  but  regard  this  branch  of  the 
work,  as  well  as  the  great  work  itself,  as  one  brought  about 


ZINZENDORF.  97 

by  Divine  agency,  wherein  the  human  instrument  himself  is 
endowed  with  many  imperfections. 

"  Selfishness  could  never  be  imputed  to  Count  Zinzendorf. 
All  that  was  his  own  he  gave  away  freely,  and,  in  every  enter- 
prise, he  never  considered  from  what  source  money  was  to  come. 
'  It  must  be  done,'  he  would  say ;  '  I  shall  continue  to  borrow, 
if  even  tons  of  gold  are  required.  I  expend  nothing  on  my- 
self, but  all  for  the  use  of  the  congregation.  God  will  see  it 
paid.'  It  often  involved  him  in  difficulties,  but  he  always 
extricated  himself.  No  one  could  have  carried  industry  to 
greater  lengths.  He  slept  but  a  few  hours,  and  allowed  him- 
self barely  time  to  eat.  To  write  and  preach  so  much,  to 
perform  so  many  journeys,  to  erect  so  many  schools,  set  them 
in  operation  and  continue  them,  required  a  more  than  ordi- 
nary activity. 

"  Out  of  all  that  has  been  said  of  him,  we  may  draw  one 
leading  trait  in  his  character,  and  that  was  immoderation. 
He  pursued  everything  to  its  farthest  limits.  He  no  sooner 
caught  the  shadow  of  a  possibility  than  it  grew  into  a  pro- 
bability, and  that  became  a  certainty,  and  upon  this  latter  he 
acted.  Dark  fancies,  but  in  harmony  with  his  genius  and  in- 
citements, worked  with  remarkable  force  upon  his  mind,  sum- 
moned up  all  his  energies  and  directed  them  to  the  purposes 
he  had  in  view.  Under  this  form,  he  possessed  a  fervor  which 
bore  him  successfully  through  many  undertakings.  I  might 
here  apply  to  his  case  the  figure  of  a  lover  in  contrast  with  a 
friend,  who  are  each  in  earnest  pursuit  of  some  desirable 
object.  While  one  is  warm,  the  other  glows  ;  where  one 
sees  insuperable  difficulties,  the  other  wastes  no  time  in  re- 
flection ;  while  one  is  taking  soundings,  the  other  has  leapt 
into  the  water.  While  the  friend  walks,  the  lover  runs, 
wanders,  stumbles,  falls ;  runs  again,  and,  finally,  reaches 
his  object."     (Lynar,  Ur sprung  und  Fortgange  der  Br'dder 

Unitcit.) 
In  further  illustration  of  the  preceding  characterization  of 

Zinzendorf,  I  add  the  following  specimen  of  his  intercourse 


98  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

with  children,  which  is  to  be  found  among  his  discourses 
entitled  "  Kinder  Reden,"  and  although  an  English  transla- 
tion will  not  do  justice  to  the  childlike  simplicity  which  en- 
abled him  to  convey  Christ's  being  and  attributes  among 
children,  still  it  may  serve  as  a  substitute  for  the  use  of  such 
as  are  not  versed  in  the  language  in  which  these  innocent 
sentiments  are  delivered. 

"  Our  dear  Saviour  says,  Forgive  and  ye.  shall  be  forgiven. 
As  soon  as  a  child  has  sufficient  understanding  to  know  that 
another  one  has  done  something  to  him  that  he  thinks  is  not 
right,  or  something  which  he  does  not  like,  and  takes  it 
amiss,  and  is  much  affronted,  then  our  dear  Saviour  also  takes 
it  very  much  amiss  of  him.  But  when  you  are  so  friendly 
disposed  to  one  another,  that  you  are  satisfied  with  every- 
thing that  passes  between  you  ;  when  your  friend  is  sorry  for 
what  he  has  done,  and  you  feel  sorry  for  him  on  account  of  it 
and  you  say  nothing  more  about  it,  but  become  affectionate 
to  one  another,  then  your  Saviour  also  forgives  you. 

"My  son,  give  me  thy  heart!  My  children,  I  have  spent 
much  time  in  thinking  what  should  prevent  every  one  from 
giving  up  his  heart  to  his  Creator,  why  every  one  is  not  hap- 
piest in  company  with  his  Creator.  Cannot  all  eat  and  drink 
and  dress  in  the  same  manner  as  others  do,  and  yet  love 
their  Creator  ?  God  says,  in  Jeremiah,  something  similar  to 
this  :  '  Thy  father  hath  eaten  and  drunk  and  loved  me,  and 
thou  thinkest,  when  thou  art  king,  thou  canst  not  love  me. 
It  is  well  with  him,  but  with  thee  it  is  not.' 

"My  dear  children!  see  that  your  hearts  are  given  up  to 
your  Saviour,  and  promise  him  that  you  will  be  his.  Say  to 
Him,  Dear  Saviour,  Thou  seest  and  knowest  me  and  all  my 
wants,  and  knowest  best  where  my  danger  lies.  Come,  against 
my  own  wishes,  to  my  assistance.  Save  me  from  misfortune ; 
support  me,  a  poor  child";  Thou  seest  that  1  cannot  make  my 
own  happiness,  make  Thou  it  for  me.  Our  dear  Saviour  will 
not  leave  your  prayers  unheard,  when  they  proceed  from  the 
heart,"  etc. 


V. 


SPANGENBERG,   OR   MORAVIANISM 
ILLUSTRATED. 

It  was  on  the  17th  of  November,  1727,  that  Count 
Zinzendorf  passed  through  Jena,  and  had  an  inter- 
view with  Doctor  Buddeus  and  some  of  the  students 
of  the  University.  Among  these  was  August  Gott- 
lieb Spangenberg,  born  in  Klettenberg,  in  1704,  and 
residing  here,  engaged  in  study.  The  Count,  as  usual, 
entertained  the  company  with  those  matters  nearest 
his  heart,  dwelling  upon  the  passage  from  Corin- 
thians: "Be  ye,  therefore,  followers  of  God,  as  dear 
children."  He  took  occasion  to  describe  the  new 
Zion,  Herrnhut,  to  them,  which  was  now  just  enter- 
ing its  fifth  year.  Our  young  student  was  strongly 
drawn  toward  Zinzendorf;  his  feelings  were  awakened 
by  his  manner,  his  subject,  and  the  picture  he  drew 
of  the  colony  in  Lusatia;  but  at  this  time  he  entered 
into  no  further  acquaintance  with  the  Count. 

The  following  year,  the  deputation  sent  from 
Herrnhut  to  England,  consisting  of  three  Brethren, 
passed  through  Jena,  and  renewed  the  friendship 
with  Doctor  Buddeus  and  the  Jena  students.  Span- 
genberg was  delighted  to  see  them,  bade  them"  wel- 

(99) 


100     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AXD  CHARACTER. 

come,  and  translated  into  the  Latin  language  the 
address  they  were  conveying  to  the  English  court. 
There  was  a  general  awakening  among  the  Jena 
students  about  this  time,  and  an  active  correspond- 
ence sprung  up  with  Zinzendorf  and  Herrnhut, 
particularly  on  the  part  of  Spangenberg,  who  pre- 
vailed on  the  former  to  repeat  his  visit  to  Jena,  where 
he  told  him  he  would  find  the  sympathies  of  more 
than  one  hundred  students  strongly  inclining  to  him 
and  his  people.  Responding  to  the  call,  he  went 
once  more  to  Jena,  and  there,  in  the  little  fervent 
assemblage,  they  sang,  "  Salve  Crux  beata,  Salve  !" 
This  event  resulted  in  a  visit  of  Spangenberg  and 
Clemens  to  Herrnhut,  in  1730,  where  their  own  re- 
ception, the  life  of  the  people,  the  warmth  of  their 
apostolic  love,  their  singularly  resolute  spirit  to 
abide  by  their  faith,  and  resist  the  persecutions  of 
government  and  of  society,  made  a  profound  im- 
pression on  the  two  students,  and  decided  the  future 
course  of  life  of  the  Magister  of  Jena.  In  1732  he 
received  an  appointment  to  Halle,  as  adjunct  pro- 
fessor and  superintendent  of  the  Orphan  House.  His 
participation  in  the  cause  of  Herrnhut  and  Zinzen- 
dorf soon  drew  down  upon  him  the  animadversions  of 
the  Theological  faculty  there,  with  Professor  Franke 
at  its  head,  who  called  him  to- task  for  his  zeal  and 
his  manner  of  carrying  out,  too  literally,  the  doc- 
trines of  Christ  and  his  Apostles.  Among  other 
complaints  brought  against  him  was  that  of  having 
performed  the  ceremony  of  washing  of  feet.     He 


SPAXGENBERG.  101 

answered  that  a  weary  soldier  had  called  on  him  for 
aid,  whom  he  took  into  his  house,  and  having  bruised 
feet,  he  applied  warm  water  to  them  to  heal  them. 
The  learned  professor  informed  him  that  such  an 
act  was  beneath  his  dignity,  as  one  of  the  learned 
faculty;  that  Christ  never  intended  that  the  pedi- 
lavium  should  be  taken  in  its  literal  sense,  nor 
actually  applied  by  his  disciples  or  mankind  to  the 
washing  of  feet.  Spangenberg's  reply  was  very 
much  in  character  with  his  whole  life  and  in  ac- 
cordance with  a  true  interpretation  of  the  Moravian 
tenets.  He  requested  that  a  child  should  be  called 
in  and  have  the  passage  read  to  him  respecting  this 
transaction  of  the  Saviour,  and  then  ask  him  the 
purport  of  it.  What  the  child's  answer  should  be, 
was  the  answer  to  the  question  in  dispute.  He  held 
himself  as  wise  as  the  child,  but  no  wiser. 

Laboring  under  all  this  opposition,  he  found  his 
position  as  professor  and  director  of  the  Orphan 
House  irreconcilable  with  his  sense  of  duty,  as  he 
conceived  himself  called  upon  to  preach  to  man- 
kind ;  and  when  a  decree  was-  sent  him  from  his 
sovereign  to  vacate  his  office,  which,  rather  than  to 
deplore,  he  hailed  with  joy,  as  it  was  a  pleasure  to 
suffer  for  conscience'  sake.  Returning  to  Jena,  he 
was  received  with  acclamation  by  his  old  friends, 
the  students,  who  escorted  him  out  of  the  city,  when 
he  departed  for  Herrnhut. 

The  two  friends  met  once  more,  and  when  Span- 
genberg  laid  a  statement  of  his  grievances  before 


102  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

Zinzendorf,  both  concluded  to  refer  to  the  Brethren's 
general  council  as  to  what  course  should  be  pursued. 
Spangenbcrg  asked  whether  he  had  not  better  pub- 
lish a  defence  of  himself  before  the  eyes  of  the  Hal- 
ins  and  the  world.  The  conclusion  on  the  part 
of  the  Brethren  was  couched  in  that  one  highly  cha- 
racteristic sentence  used  in  all  similar  cases:  " Re- 
main silent  and  wait  upon  the  Lord."  Having  now 
become  an  inmate  of  this  cherished  abode,  he  soon 
turned  his  attention  to  the  new  enterprise  of  the 
Brethren,  the  mission  to  the  West  Indies,  and  de- 
parted with  four  married  couples  and  ten  Brethren, 
on  foot,  to  Copenhagen,  to  see  them  embark  thence 
on  this  new  and  hazardous  adventure. 

The  project  of  sending  out  missions  to  Georgia  was 
conceived  and  carried  out  in  1735,  and  to  Spangen- 
berg  was  assigned  the  task  of  leading  the  little  band 
of  Brethren  on  this  perilous  expedition.  He  himself 
proceeded  to  London,  and  was  joined  by  the  com- 
pany of  emigrants  soon  after.  During  his  stay  he 
made  an  acquaintance  with  the  commissioners  for 
Georgia,  as  well  as  with  the  Bishop  of  London  ;  with 
the  former,  his  time  was  spent  in  negotiations  pre- 
paratory to  the  emigration  and  settlement  of  the 
colony,  and  his  object  in  calling  on  the  latter  was, 
to  lay  before  him  the  history  of  Herrnhut  and  the 
schemes  of  its  founder. 

After  a  speedy  voyage,  Spangenberg  arrived  in 
the  new  and  thinly  peopled  province  of  Georgia, 
and  took  possession  of  the  fifty  acres  of  land  granted 


SPANGENBERG.  103 

him  by  the  trustees  in  London,  and  with  the  little 
body  of  ten  persons,  commenced  building  a  hut  on 
the  Savannah  River.  Previously  to  its  erection, 
they  encamped  fourteen  days  in  the  open  air,  beside 
a  fire,  felling  trees,  out  of  which  they  split  rude 
boards ;  and  scarcely  had  they  completed  the  humble 
dwelling  and  moved  in,  before  a  storm  of  rain  came 
on.  As  there  was  another  arrival  of  twenty  more 
Brethren  looked  for  the  following  year,  preparations 
were  forthwith  made  for  the  erection  of  a  larger 
house  for  their  reception. 

Hither  in  the  wilderness,  in  a  foreign  country, 
Herrnhut  and  its  observances,  its  hymns  and  its 
prayers,  were  soon  transplanted;  and  as  a  relief  to 
the  labors  of  the  woodman's  life,  which  it  really 
proved  to  these  people,  the  petition  and  the  anthem 
went-  up  to  heaven  at  all  hours.  The  Halle  pro- 
fessor was  now  obliged  to  wield  the  axe,  prostrating 
the  trees  of  a  dense  pine  forest,  and  hewing  timber 
for  the  construction  of  houses.  He  aided  in  cooking 
food,  and  left  untouched  no  branch  of  labor  wherein 
he  found  call  for  his  services  and  ingenuity.  In 
February  of  1736,  the  twenty  emigrants  arrived 
from  Herrnhut,  which  place  they  had  left  the  pre- 
ceding August.  They  came  under  the  conduct  of 
Bishop  David  Nitschmann,  Governor  Oglethorpe 
and  John  "Wesley  having  been  their  fellow-pas- 
sengers. General  Oglethorpe,  who  was  governor 
of  Georgia,  often  came  to  see  Spangenberg  and 
his  colony,  and,  on  such  occasions,  found  him  en- 

10 


10-i  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

gaged  in  work,  and  sometimes  employed  as  cook. 
Wesley's  acquaintance  with  Spangenberg  originated 
here,  and  the  friendship  between  the  former  and  the 
Brethren  continued  until  1740,  when  he  instituted 
the  society  afterwards  known  as  the  Methodists. 

Under  the  superintendence  of  Bishop  David  Nitsch- 
mann,  a  regular  organization  of  Herrnhutian  life 
was  now  commenced  on  a  very  small  scale,  having 
its  overseers,  admonishers,  and  its  servants  and 
nurses.  The  minor  subdivisions,  known  at  Herrn- 
hut  as  the  "Bands,"  and  afterwards  common  in 
England,  were  also  introduced,  in  which  a  few  met 
together  for  the  purpose  of  spiritual  edification  and 
prayer.  Anton  Seiffert  was  then  appointed  Elder, 
and  entered  upon  his  office  with  the  benediction  of 
the  bishop ;  who,  laying  his  hands  upon  him,  prayed 
fervently  for  the  success  of  his  ministration.  Seiffert 
received  his  consecration  under  the  deepest  im- 
pressions, and  in  silence;  and  then,  with  the  usual 
accompaniments  of  hymns  of  praise,  ended  that 
remarkable  scene  in  the  Georgia  forests. 

Spangenberg  now  turned  his  attention  to  Penn- 
sylvania. A  company  of  Schwenkfelders,  who  had 
gone  out  from  Berthelsdorf  to  America,  had  directed 
their  course  to  this  province  and  settled  here.  He 
was  desirous  of  seeking:  them,  and  examining  their 
condition;  and,  accordingly,  setting  out  by  sea  for 
Charleston,  and  thence  again  by  sea  to  New  York, 
he  arrived  at  the  latter  place  in  safety,  after  a 
twelve  days'  voyage  from  the  former.     He  traveled 


SPAXGEXBERG.  105 

across  New  Jersey  into  Pennsylvania,  and  discovered 
the  Schwenkfeld  colony  settled  in  that  portion  of 
the  province  now  known  as  Montgomery  County; 
and  was  hospitably  received  by  one  of  them  named 
Christopher  Wiegner.  Very  soon,  however,  he  re- 
ceived the  appointment  from  Bishop  Nitschmann  to 
proceed  to  the  West  Indies,  on  a  visitation  to  the 
mission  in  St.  Thomas.  He  consented  to  go,  and 
repairing  without  delay  to  New  York,  embarked  for 
St.  Thomas,  on  the  10th  of  September,  1736.  Re- 
maining in  St.  Thomas  and  St.  Croix,  until  the  six- 
teenth of  October,  and  reviving  the  drooping  mis- 
sionaries there,  who  had  many  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  not  only  in  the  climate,  but  in  the  opposition 
of  the  white  inhabitants,  who  covered  them  with 
persecution  and  insult,  he  again  set  sail  for  New 
York,  with  the  well-known  Nicolas  Garrison,  who 
proved  a  warm  friend,  and  sympathized  deeply  with 
the  Christian  errand  he  was  engaged  in.  Returning 
to  his  friend  Wiegner  and  the  Schwenkfelders,  he 
remained  among  them  until  a  summons  came  to  him 
from  Bishop  Nitschmann  to  proceed  to  Georgia, 
where  his  presence  was  anxiously  awaited  by  the 
colony.  They  were  in  difficulties.  The  Spaniards 
were  endeavoring  to  supplant  the  English  colonists, 
who  demanded  the  assistance  of  the  Moravians. 
These  refused  to  take  up  arms  in  their  defence, 
and  saw  no  other  prospect  before  them,  but  to  for- 
sake their  nourishing  little  settlement,  and  emigrate 
farther  North.    This  event  soon  followed ;  the  colony 


106     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

near  Savannah  was  broken  up ;  the  last  Brethren 
remaining  there  departed  for  Pennsylvania,  and 
Spangenberg,  after  a  four  years'  arduous,  zealous, 
and  tempest-tossed  service  in  America,  proceeded 
to  Philadelphia,  and  embarked  thence  for  Europe. 
He  only  learned  after  his  embarkation  on  the  ves- 
sel, that  she  had  no  means  of  defence ;  that  a 
war  had  actually  broken  out  between  England  and 
Spain,  and  that  the  voyage  was  likely  to  be  the  most 
perilous  he  had  yet  undertaken.  Under  the  weight 
of  emotion  inspired  by  these  circumstances,  he 
quoted  to  himself  that  passage  of  Scripture,  "  And 
when  ye  hear  of  wars  and  rumors  of  wars,  be  ye 
not  afraid,"  and  his  heart  was  strengthened.  The 
voyage,  however,  proved  prosperous ;  he  landed  safely 
in  England,  and,  toward  the  close  of  1739,  he  found 
himself  in  Marienborn,  the  seat  of  the  Brethren  at 
that  period.  In  this  last  voyage,  as  well  as  in  that 
from  Philadelphia  to  Georgia,  which  occupied  eleven 
weeks,  Spangenberg's  equanimity  and  perfect  de- 
pendence on  God  were  illustrated  in  a  remarkable 
degree.  In  the  first  voyage,  the  passage  was  so 
stormy  and  his  apparent  indifference  so  great,  that 
the  captain  regarded  him  in  a  superstitious  light ; 
he  looked  on  him  as  a  sorcerer,  and  was  on  the  point 
of  casting  him  overboard,  and  several  times  declared 
himself  to  that  effect.  On  his  voyage  to  England, 
his  calmness  and  inner  peace  were  so  striking,  that 
he  drew  around  him  the  more  alarmed  of  his  fellow- 
passengers,  who  seemed  to  find  protection  in  his 


SPANGENBERG.  107 

mere  presence.  At  Marienborn  be  was  united  in 
marriage  with  the  widow  Immig,  whom  Zinzen- 
dorf  and  the  Countess  had  known  at  Dresden,  and 
who  was  an  exemplary  Eldrcss  in  her  Choir  during 
the  time  of  her  widowhood. 

Spangenberg's  scene  of  activity  was  now  chiefly 
in  England,  where,  during  the  absence  of  Zinzendorf 
in  America,  in  1741  and  1742,  he  was  engaged  in 
spreading  the  name  and  doctrine  of  Herrnhut  among 
the  English  people ;  and  numbers  were  found  who  were 
touched  with  the  earnestness  and  sincerity  of  our  ac- 
tive apostle,  joined  the  new  cause  he  was  endeavoring 
to  make  known,  and  perpetuated  the  church  in  a 
land  where  their  descendants  live  in  the  profession 
and  enjoyment  of  Moravianism  to  the  present  day. 
At  one  time  we  find  him  holding  an  interview  with 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  pressing  the 
claims  of  the  new  church  upon  his  notice  and  pro- 
tection ;  at  another  time  returning  to  Marienborn 
and  looking  after  the  interests  of  the  congrega- 
tion there.  An  extensive  correspondence  was  kept 
up  all  this  time  with  Count  Zinzendorf;  which 
continued  until  the  return  of  the  latter  from  Ame- 
rica, in  1743.  Having,  in  1744,  been  consecrated 
bishop,  it  was  deemed  expedient  that  Spangenberg 
should  now  revisit  America ;  and  setting  sail  with  his 
wife  on  a  day  when  the  daily  text  read,  "I  am  with 
you,"  he  reached  New  York  once  more,  after  a  pas- 
sage that  was  accompanied  by  much  apprehension,  the 
sea  then  being  infested  with  Spanish  vessels.  Once 
10* 


108  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

more  within  that  new  and  distant  country,  his  at- 
tention  was  directed  to  the  Indians  ;  and  he  repaired 
to  Shekomeko,  with  his  wife  and  Captain  Garrison. 
From  Shekomeko  they  proceeded  to  Bethlehem; 
where  they  remained  for  five  years,  arranging  and 
superintending  the  Economy  of  the  Brethren  there, 
a-  well  as  at  Xazareth,  Christianspring,  and  Gnaden- 
thal.  This  social  plan  was  upheld  for  twenty  years 
in  these  several  places,  and  was,  for  the  greater  part 
of  that  time,  under  Spangenberg's  direction  and 
care.  Their  joint  population  at  this  early  period 
was  about  six  hundred,  among  whom  there  were 
probably  a  number  of  converted  Indians. 

No  explanation  having  been  given  of  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Moravian  Economy,  as  it  existed  in  this 
country  during  those  twenty  years,  when  it  stood 
under  the  supervision  of  Spangenberg,  a  few  words 
might  be  added  in  its  elucidation,  particularly  since 
some  misconstruction  has  been  placed  upon  the  sub- 
ject by  those  who  have  taken  a  superficial  view  of 
our  history  and  character.  The  motto  of  this  com- 
mon family  was,  "In  commune  oramus,  in  commune 
laboramus,  in  commune  patimur,  in  commune  gaude- 
mus."1  Under  Spangenberg's  administration,  it  was 
conceded  to  every  one  that  the  property  he  held, 
previously  to  entering  the  common  circle,  was  to  be 
retained ;  his  labor  only  was  bestowed  on  the  com- 

1  "  We  pray  together,  we  labor  together,  we  suffer  together, 
we  rejoice  together.'' 


SPANGEXBERG.  109 

mon  cause.  How  labor  itself  was  regarded,  how  it 
was  sanctified,  how  it  was  accompanied  with  demon- 
strations of  festivity,  with  prayers  and  song,  has 
already  been  shown.  The  whole  element  of  self  had 
to  be  merged  in  the  exclusive  desire  and  aim  of  the 
Brethren  to  promulgate  the  knowledge  of  Christ. 
No  one,  therefore,  labored  for  the  accumulation  of 
earthly  treasure ;  but  life,  and  all  that  renders  it  a 
drudgery  to  us  of  a  later  stage  of  thought  and  action, 
was  one  continued  preparation  for  the  unseen  king- 
dom of  spiritual  joys. 

During  its  infancy,  and  indeed  the  greater  part 
of  its  maturity,  this  social  family  flourished  in  love 
and  harmony;  and  the  picture  which  Spangen- 
berg  himself  gives  us  of  it  during  1744  to  1749,  is 
such  as  must  lead  us  to  believe  that  it  was  the  reali- 
zation of  all  that  is  dreamt  of  by  men,  who  make  a 
similar  attempt,  but  on  a  materialistic  basis.  What 
became  of  self  and  all  its  impressions  during  this 
period,  or  how  the  jarrings  of  human  discord  were 
hushed  for  so  long  a  time,  has  never  been  chronicled 
to  us ;  but  if  we  enter  into  the  Christian  life,  festive 
joys,  and  industrious  avocations  of  these  early,  primi- 
tive people,  we  can  find  a  solution  of  the  problem, 
why  the  system  was  upheld  so  long.  The  tendency  to 
accumulate,  which  belongs  to  all  systems  of  socialism, 
and  proves  their  eventual  downfall,  was  excluded  from 
the  Moravian  Economy;  which  is  evident  from  the 
very  fact  that  its  united  co-operation  was  a  labor  of 
love.     Its  profits  and  its  surplus  were  expended  in 


110  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

supporting  the  schools,  in  aiding  the  neighboring  and 
destitute  Indians,  who  often  came  to  Bethlehem  for 
food  and  shelter,  in  sending  out  missionaries  and 
teachers  among  them,  and  in  receiving  emigrants 
from  abroad.  To  do  all  this,  and  the  work  was  not 
a  small  one,  the  most  unremitted  labor  was  demanded; 
and  in  this  labor  all  were  engaged,  the  young  and 
old;  so  that  it  necessarily  called  down  upon  itself 
the  character  of  a  species  of  adoration. 

It  was  during  these  five  years  that  Spangenberg 
found  all  his  powers  called  into  activity.  He 
managed  the  whole  Economy  of  the  Brethren,  esta- 
blished schools  to  the  number  of  thirty,  instituted  new 
congregations,  and,  in  addition  to  all  this,  now  devoted 
his  attention  to  the  Indians.  In  1749  we  find  Span- 
genberg once  more  departing  for  Europe,  where  he 
arrived  after  a  remarkably  quick  voyage  of  four 
weeks.  During  the  following  year  he  passed  his  time 
in  England  and  Germany  alternately,  going  constantly 
to  and  fro;  and  engaged  with  Zinzendorf  in  conduct- 
ing the  affairs  of  the  Brethren.  His  faithful  wife, 
Mary,  was  called  away  from  him  in  1751,  shortly 
before  his  intended  departure  for  Greenland,  whither 
he  was  summoned.  He  gives  us,  in  his  own  lan- 
guage, a  pathetic  account  of  the  end  of  her  days 
on  earth ;  and  in  the  memoir  read  by  the  Ordinarius, 
(Zinzendorf,)  who  himself  drew  up  the  eulogy  on  her 
character,  there  is  a  fine  portrayal  of  all  the  eminent 
qualities  that  marked  Mary  Spangenberg,  in  com- 
mon with  those  rare  women  who  took  the  lead  in  the 


SPANGENBERG.  Ill 

spiritual  ministration  of  the  early  Moravians.  She, 
like  the  Countess  of  Zinzendorf  and  Anna  Nitschman, 
was  ready  to  officiate  on  all  occasions;  and  in  speak- 
ing of  her  loss,  Zinzendorf  deploringly  regarded  it  as 
an  irreparable  one. 

Brother  Joseph,  as  our  Bishop  Spangenberg  was 
now  affectionately  called,1  departed  for  Copenhagen, 
to  set  sail  for  Greenland;  but  being  too  late  to  em- 
bark, his  mission  was  frustrated,  and  he  returned  to 
Herrnhut.  In  the  same  year  he  again  left  Europe 
for  America;  and,  after  a  pleasant  voyage  of  eleven 
weeks,  during  which  time  he  edified  his  fellow  pas- 
sengers with  daily  service,  singing,  and  composing 
hymns  for  them,  and  once  furnishing  them  a  Love- 
Pea  st,  he  arrived  in  New  York,  and  forthwith  pro- 
ceeded to  the  bourne  of  his  wishes,  Bethlehem.  He 
found  the  congregation  much  larger ;  and  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties  as  Patriarch,  to  which  station  he 
was  chosen  immediately  on  his  arrival,  he  found  him- 
self surrounded  with  difficulties.  Here  and  there  he 
discovered  some  loosened  chords  of  harmony;  and 
to  bind  them  fast  again  became  his  constant  care 
and  solicitude. 

Lord  Granville  having  offered  the  Brethren  a  tract 
of  land  in  South  Carolina,  comprising  100,000  acres, 
Bishop  Spangenberg  set  out,  the  25th  of  August, 
1752,  with  five  assistants,  to  discover  its  locality  and 

1  And  as  lie  signed  himself.  See  MS.  of  the  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania,  printed  in  Reichel's  History  of 
Nazareth  Hall,  page  9. 


112  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AXD    CHARACTER. 

survey  it.  The  text  for  the  day  of  their  departure 
was,  "The  people  that  knoweth  its  God,"  etc. 

The  march  of  the  exploring  party  through  Vir- 
ginia and  North  Carolina  was  attended  with  difficul- 
ties that  no  one  had  imagined.  They  had  morasses  and 
forests  to  traverse  and  mountains  to  climb,  and  were 
forced  to  encamp  every  night,  for  fourteen  weeks,  in 
the  woods.  For  paths  through  these  inaccessible 
forests  they  sought  out  the  track  of  the  buffalo,  and 
frequently  relieved  their  horses  of  their  baggage,  in 
order  to  enable  them  to  climb  the  steep  rocky  as- 
cents. Winter  came  on,  and  they  found  themselves 
wading  through  deep  snows  amid  these  impenetrable 
American  wilds.  On  one  occasion  their  food  as 
well  as  provender  for  the  horses  became  exhausted; 
and  they  spent  three  days  without  eating,  when, 
coming  upon  a  little  brook,  they  followed  its  course 
into  an  open  pasture,  where  they  shot  two  deer.  A 
short  distance  hence  they  came  in  contact  with  white 
people,  who  conducted  them  to  the  region  afterwards 
known  as  the  Wachau.1 

It  was  not  until  the  12th  of  February  following 
that  Spangenberg  once  more  found  himself  safely 
seated  in  Bethlehem,  recounting  the  adventures  of 
his  heroic  mission  among  the  solitudes  of  North 
Carolina.  Early  in  the  spring  of  1753  he  delivered 
an  admirable  discourse  in  the  Brethren's  Church; 


1  Now  the   country  around  Salem,  North  Carolina,  and 
called  Wachovia. 


SPANGEXBERG.  113 

then  once  more  embarked  on  board  of  a  ship,  and 
arrived  in  London  on  the  27th  of  May. 

During  the  month  of  April  of  the  ensuing  year, 
we  again  find  him  celebrating  Easter  morning  on  the 
ocean,  and  calling  to  mind  the  multitudes  it  had 
swallowed  up,  and  who  should  all  rise  again  "in  that 
great  day  of  the  Lord."  This  was  his  fourth  visit 
to  America,  and  lasted  seven  years.  On  this  occa- 
sion he  was  welcomed  by  the  people  of  Bethlehem 
with  a  Love-Feast.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  he  was 
married  to  the  widow  Miksch,  whom  he  had  known 
as  a  handmaid  of  Christ,  the  usual  appellation  of  all 
the  faithful  and  exemplary  women  of  those  days,  and 
he  speaks  of  her  in  these  terms:  "My  Martha  is  a 
good  child,  a  worthy  gift  of  the  Saviour  for  me  !  If 
her  open-heartedness  and  my  sternness  could  be  di- 
vided between  us,  it  would  be  of  service  to  the 
Church.     ^Ye  yield  ourselves  up  to  it." 

The  year  1755  was  the  opening  of  Indian  troubles 
for  the  Moravians  of  Bethlehem,  and  they  were 
thrown  into  perplexity  and  peril  through  the  opera- 
tion of  opposite  causes.  From  their  well-known  zeal 
for  the  Indians,  many  of  these  believed  them  to  be 
their  friends,  and  fled  to  their  towns  for  protection. 
Many  of  the  white  inhabitants,  on  the  other  hand, 
regarded  them  as  being  in  league  with  the  savages, 
and  an  attack  on  their  part  threatened  them  more 
than  once.  But  when  the  appalling  massacre  on  the 
Mahony  became  known,  the  character  of  the  Bre- 
thren came  out  in  its  true  light ;  and  the  illusion  was 


114     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

dispelled  that  they  were  allies  of  the  Indians  and 
French  against  the  English.  Early  in  the  morning 
after  the  night  of  this  memorable  catastrophe,  Span- 
genberg  called  the  congregation,  and  after  reading 
the  text  for  the  day,  he  detailed  the  circumstances 
of  the  sad  event,  the  news  of  which  had  just  been 
brought  by  the  messenger  to  Bethlehem ;  then  has- 
tening to  Nazareth  he  repeated  the  mournful  tale  of 
the  massacre  of  the  eleven  Brethren  of  the  Pilgrim 
House  at  Gnadenhutten.  To  form  some  idea  of  the 
fearful  state  of  Bethlehem  at  this  time,  I  will  quote 
the  following  lines  from  Spangenberg's  letter  to  Zin- 
zendorf:  "The  Indians  are  now  threatening  to  at- 
tack Bethlehem,  but  our  hearts  rest  in  childlike  hope. 
Our  children  are  ignorant  of  the  war  and  murder 
around  them;  they  are  all  lively,  and  sing  and  play 
before  the  Lord  in  their  innocence.  The  widows  and 
single  sisters  are  like  the  children,  although  they  hear 
of  the  massacres  and  burnings.  The  married  sisters 
look  upon  their  children  and  infants,  and  suffer  their 
tears  to  flow  over  them,  yet  they  are  quite  gentle 
and  resigned.  The  Brethren  are  day  and  night  on 
the  watch  to  guard  against  an  attack.  The  neigh- 
boring people  seek  refuge  among  us,  and  we  refuse 
no  one.  In  short,  we  are  comforted  and  resolute  in 
the  Lord. 

"We  abide,  unterrified,  at  our  posts  ;  for  should  we 
yield,  the  whole  country  between  this  and  Philadel- 
phia would  become  a  prey  to  the  ravages  of  the  In- 
dians, there  being  no  other  place  that  could  resist 


SPANGENBERG.  115 

them.  As  yet  no  one  has  deserted  us ;  indeed  it  has 
not  entered  the  mind  of  any  to  seek  for  safety  out- 
side of  our  people.  From  man  we  seek  no  rescue  ; 
the  Lord  alone,  whose  property  we  are,  will  aid  us. 
How  tender  is  our  mutual  love  under  these  circum- 
stances !  When  we  behold  a  brother,  it  is  like  look- 
ing upon  an  angel  of  God.  The  sisters  pray,  weep, 
and  comfort  us  with  their  childlike  and  placid  looks. 
Some  repining  words  are  now  and  then  heard  uttered 
by  one  or  the  other,  but  she  is  soon  reminded; — Have 
not  we  a  Saviour,  who  loves  us  tenderly?  a  Father, 
who  numbers  all  the  hairs  in  our  heads?  a  Holy 
Spirit,  that  cares  for  the  body  when  it  lies  in  the 
earth,  until  it  is  again  raised  up?  God  be  praised, 
we  have  thus  far  spilled  no  blood,  and  think  not  of 
doing  it.  We  are  good  children  together,  and  if  we 
are  industrious,  life  and  things  prosper." 

The  letter  is  not  only  characteristic  of  Brother 
Joseph  himself,  but  is  the  best  illustration  that  I  am 
able  to  adduce  of  Moravian  faith  in  the  middle  of 
the  last  century,  among  the  most  trying  events  in 
which  it  was  placed. 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  statements,  that  the  whole 
country  north  of  Philadelphia  was,  in  a  manner, 
shielded  by  these  little  Moravian  settlements,  and 
that  their  protection  lay  more  in  the  strength  of  the 
spiritual  calmness  and  heavenly  peace,  that  imparted 
such  a  remarkable  and  inspiring  personality  to  Zin- 
zendorf  and  Spangenberg  on  the  stormy  ocean,  than 

11 


116  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

in  any  material  means  of  defence.1  The  provincial 
governor,  who  then  resided  at  Philadelphia,  became 
a  warm  friend  of  Spangenberg,  and  fully  appreciated 
the  valuable  services  of  the  Brethren.  He  availed 
himself  of  the  bishop's  counsel,  and  regarded  these 
people  as  one  of  the  outposts  of  civilization  during 
those  stormy  periods. 

Spangenberg's  energies  were  now  tried  to  their 
utmost  capacity ;  he  not  only  had  the  whole  super- 
vision of  the  several  Economies,  but  kept  up  an  ac- 
tive correspondence  with  Germany  and  the  West 
Indies,  as  well  as  with  North  Carolina. 

Of  the  Indians  who  had  taken  refuge  among  the 
Moravians,  there  were  in  Bethlehem  one  hundred, 
whose  necessities  were  provided  for,  in  being  nursed, 
fed,  and  clothed.  During  the  winter,  the  greater 
part  of  these  were  lodged  in  one  house,  but  when 
summer  returned  little  huts  were  provided  for  them. 
During  the  year  1756  the  number  of  refugees  who 
sought  this  asylum  numbered  six  hundred.  These, 
with  much  difficulty,  were  carried  through  a  severe 
winter  by  the  Brethren.  Some  flying  to  them  naked, 
were  provided  with  clothing,  others  nearly  starved 
were  served  with  food,  while  to  all  was  dispensed  the 
bread  of  life;  as  they  not  only  made  it  a  point  to 

1  In  each  of  the  Moravian  settlements  of  Bethlehem,  Naza- 
reth, Christianspring,  Gnadenthal  and  Friedensthal,  there 
was  a  regular  night-watch  kept ;  and  a  large  number  were 
armed,  who  frequently  went  out  on  scouting  expeditions  to 
discover  Indians  in  ambush  around  the  villages. 


SPANGENBERG.  117 

provide  for  their  physical  wants,  but  preached  the 
gospel,  and  sung  the  hymns  of  Herrnhut  for  them. 

It  may  well  be  imagined  that  this  outpouring  of 
generosity  exhausted  the  means  of  the  Moravians. 
Some  subsidies  were  sent  from  other  parts,  as  Phila- 
delphia and  intermediate  places,  but  to  sustain  them- 
selves under  these  trying  circumstances,  they  found 
it  incumbent  to  strive  ain  body  and  spirit." 

In  the  year  1759  Bishop  Spangenberg  undertook 
a  second  journey  to  North  Carolina,  which,  seven 
years  before,  accompanied  by  his  surveyor,  his 
hunter,  and  fellow-pilgrims  of  Bethlehem,  he  had 
ventured  to  explore.  With  his  wife  and  a  few  Bre- 
thren, he  now  departed,  and  his  adventures  on  this 
expedition  were  nearly  as  bold  as  were  the  first,  in 
1752.  The  Indians  were  as  hostile  in  those  portions 
of  the  province  as  they  had  been  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1755  to  1757.  They  burned  and  massacred  through- 
out North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  and  our  party 
having  to  encamp  in  the  woods  every  night,  their 
lives  stood  in  imminent  danger.  The  journey  was 
accompanied  with  such  peril  that  no  guide  could  be 
procured  to  conduct  them  through  the  forest,  but 
when  near  the  region  of  the  "Wachau,  they  succeeded 
in  sending  a  messenger  before  them  to  the  people  of 
Bethabara,  who  immediately  came  out  with  an  escort 
to  meet  them.  They  found  the  place  surrounded  by 
the  same  dangers  that  but  a  few  years  before  had 
encompassed  Bethlehem.  The  wild  Cherokees  were 
lurking  around,  and  the  utmost  vigilance  of  the  in- 


118  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

habitants  was  exercised  night  and  day  to  ward  them 
off.  They  were  obliged  to  sustain  all  who  came  to 
them  for  protection ;  and  they  had  one  hundred  chil- 
dren under  twelve  years  of  age  to  care  for.  Brother 
Joseph  remained  eleven  months  in  the  Wachau,  and 
amid  all  the  dangers  of  Indian  strife,  he  was  deeply 
engaged  in  arranging  the  internal  affairs  of  Betha- 
bara,  directing  its  people  in  ritual  and  doctrine,  and 
establishing  its  family  in  faith  and  love.  The  return 
to  Bethlehem  was  amid  the  haunts  of  the  savage. 
At  night  a  fire  was  kindled  in  the  woods,  around 
which  while  some  slept,  others  watched ;  but  an  un- 
erring hand  finally  conveyed  them  unscathed  to 
Bethlehem,  after  a  journey  of  twenty-four  days. 
They  were  again  welcomed  home,  and  their  arrival 
was  signalized  by  a  Love-Feast  of  the  whole  congre- 
gation. It  was  four  years  previous  to  this  that 
Spangenberg  had  been  apprised  of  the  death  of  the 
Countess  Zinzendorf ;  and  now,  in  176$,  the  still 
more  afflicting  news  of  the  Count's  own  departure 
were  brought  to  Bethlehem.  Bishop  Joseph's  senti- 
ments on  both  occasions  are  so  beautifully  couched 
in  his  native  German,  that  I  refrain  from  the  attempt 
to  render  their  untranslatable  pathos  in  our  own  lan- 
guage. He  has,  both  here  and  elsewhere,  drawn  the 
finest  psychological  portrait  of  Erdmuth  Dorothea 
von  Zinzendorf  that  we  possess;  and  his  eulogium 
on  the  "Disciple"  himself,  at  receiving  the  intelli- 
gence of  his  death,  is  so  Moravian  in  its  tone  and 


SPAXGEXBERG.  119 

expression,  that  the  original  language  in  which  it  is 
conveyed  is  its  most  proper  medium  for  perusal. 

At  the  time  the  news  of  Zinzendorf's  death  came 
to  America,  a  second  visit  had  been  anxiously  looked 
for;  he  had  secured  such  a  firm  hold  on  the  affec- 
tions of  all,  that  his  presence  seemed  needed  every- 
where; and  it  was  a  source  of  profound  grief  that 
both  this  hope  was  to  be  left  unrealized  and  that  the 
great  spiritual  patriarch  was  no  longer  to  be  seen  on 
this  side  of  eternity.  In  many  an  old  Moravian  this 
transition  of  a  friend  from  one  life  to  the  other  pro- 
duced no  visible  effect — it  became  a  matter  of  time 
only  when  spirit  should  again  become  united  to 
spirit,  and  the  affections  of  earth  be  renewed  again 
in  heaven. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  the  " Disciple,"  Spangen- 
berg  was  recalled  to  Europe  to  assume  the  place 
the  loss  had  made  vacant;  and  he  accordingly  pre- 
pared for  this  event  by  a  general  visitation  to  the 
congregations  around  Bethlehem.  The  Economy  at 
this  place,  having  now  lasted  twenty  years,  was  dis- 
solved ;  and  in  a  Love-Feast  which  was  given  in  cele- 
bration of  his  departure,  he  imparted  his  blessings  to 
all  his  people,  and  consigned  them  to  the  keeping  of 
the  Saviour.  He  was  accompanied  to  Philadelphia 
by  a  few  friends,  who  returned  soon  after  with  his 
final  salutation  to  his  American  Brethren,  conveyed 
in  the  same  scriptural  terms  of  simplicity  and  affec- 
tion that  characterized  all  his  writings  and  dis- 
courses. To  render  these  discourses  in  an  English 
11* 


120     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

dress,  Joes  so  little  justice  to  their  author,  and  serves 
to  make  Moravianism  such  an  incomprehensible 
thing,  that  I  forbear  here,  as  elsewhere,  placing 
Spangenberg  before  the  reader,  whenever  his  warm- 
est effusions  are  called  forth.  In  common  with  Zin- 
zendorf,  his  thoughts  were  born  of  the  language  of 
his  country,  his  religious  emotions  were  the  offspring 
of  the  national  temperament,  and  when  we  attempt 
to  make  our  own  tongue  the  medium  of  the  Moravian 
ideas  of  an  earlier  day,  we  can  give  them  no  ade- 
quate expression. 

After  a  tempestuous  voyage  of  sixty-nine  days  to 
England,  and  another  nearly  disastrous  one  of  five 
weeks  thence  to  Hamburg,  he  found  himself  once 
more  approaching  Herrnhut,  after  thirteen  years' 
absence.  He  entered  the  church  at  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  without  any  previous  notice  of  his  ar- 
rival, just  as  the  congregation  was  singing,  "0 
Haupt  voll  Blut  und  "Wunden."  His  figure  and 
general  appearance  had  a  striking  resemblance  to  that 
of  the  "Disciple,"  and  the  assembly  were  so  affected 
with  this  sudden  apparition  that  many  shed  tears. 
The  next  morning  he  repaired  to  the  grave  of  Zin- 
zendorf  on  the  Hutberg,  to  drop  a  tear  upon  the  spot 
where  his  nearest  earthly  friend  now  lay  interred. 

Spangenberg  was  immediately  appointed  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Conference  of  Herrnhut,  to  which  was 
confided  the  general  direction  of  the  church,  both  at 
home  and  abroad,  and  which,  in  1769,  assumed, 
under  an  enlarged  form,  the  title  of  "The  Unity's 


SPANGENBEKG.  121 

Elders'  Conference."  Through  his  later  years  his 
mental  activity  was  as  great  as  ever,  and  in  addition 
to  all  his  other  ministerial  engagements,  he  was  em- 
ployed in  writing  several  important  works,  among 
which  were  the  Life  of  Zinzendorf  and  his  celebrated 
Idea  fidei  Fratrum.  The  former  furnishes  the  most 
correct  and  authentic  biography  we  have  of  Zinzen- 
dorf; the  latter  treatise  attracted  much  attention 
throughout  Europe,  having  been  translated  into  the 
English,  Dutch,  Danish,  French,  and  Swedish  lan- 
guages. A  great  portion  of  this  time  was  spent  in 
Barby,  where  the  Unity's  Conference  held  its  seat  for 
the  period  of  thirteen  years ;  and  on  his  arriving  at 
his  eighty-first  birth-day,  the  anniversary  happening 
to  fall  upon  the  Jubilee  of  his  official  years  spent  in  the 
service  of  the  United  Brethren,  it  was  solemnized 
with  all  the  demonstrations  of  joy  befitting  such  a 
memorable  occasion.  He  was  awakened  early  in  the 
morning  by  a  choir  of  singers :  his  colleagues  of  the 
Conference  expressed  their  hearty  good  wishes,  and 
congratulated  him  on  the  event  of  the  day,  on  the  won- 
derful preservations  that  had  been  shown  him  in  his 
eventful  career,  and  the  hale  old  age  to  which  he 
had  attained,  the  fidelity  he  had  shown,  and  the  suc- 
cess that  had  crowned  all  his  works  on  earth.  They 
prayed  that  a  succession  of  blessings  might  descend 
upon  his  declining  days,  and  that  he  might  grow 
more  and  more  in  grace  until  his  race  was  run.  In 
reply  to  these  expressions  of  love  on  the  part  of  his 
associates,  he  made  the  most  candid  confessions,  ac- 


122  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

knowledged  his  gratitude  to  his  God  and  Saviour, 
and  closed  the  scene  by  kneeling  down  with  them  all, 
and  pouring  out  his  soul  in  fervent  prayer.  Hymns 
composed  for  the  occasion  were  handed  him  by  nu- 
merous friends,  and  during  the  Love-Feast  prepared 
for  him  a  special  psalm  was  sung,  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  day,  and  performed  by  choir  and  orches- 
tra, according  to  custom.  After  the  celebration  had 
ended,  he  presented  a  written  address  to  the  Bre- 
thren who  had  joined  in  it,  wherein,  among  other 
things,  he  promised  to  prepare  and  present  to  them, 
as  a  keepsake,  a  narration  of  all  the  wonderful  bless- 
ings which  God  had  conferred  upon  them  since  the 
opening  of  their  history. 

Brother  Joseph  remained  in  the  full  possession  of 
his  mental  powers,  performing  all  the  duties  assigned 
him,  until  near  the  close  of  his  remarkable  and  event- 
ful life.  His  second  faithful  spouse  was  taken  from 
him  in  1789,  in  her  eighty-first  year — a  worthy 
handmaid  of  Christ,  having  shared  in  all  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  her  husband's  life,  dispensed  the  charities 
and  benevolence  of  her  own  peculiar  calling  to  every 
one  with  whom  she  came  in  contact,  and  left  behind 
her  a  name  precious  to  all.  During  the  Bishop's  latter 
days,  when  disease  began  to  show  its  inroads,  he  re- 
moved from  Herrnhut  to  the  Unity's  mansion  at 
Berthelsdorf,  known  as  the  "Schloss."  Here  he  was 
shown  many  attentions  by  those  around  him;  but 
though  his  bodily  powers  gave  way,  his  active  mind 
was  engaged  to  the  last  moment.    On  a  fine  morning, 


SPANGENBERG.  123 

in  the  month  of  August,  he  allowed  himself  to  be  car- 
ried out  into  the  field,  where  the  reapers  were  taking 
off  the  harvest.  He  summoned  them  around  him, 
gave  them  refreshments,  addressed  and  blessed  them. 
Then,  raising  his  feeble  voice,  sang,  "Nun  danket 
alle  Gott,"  which  so  affected  the  assembled  group 
that  their  tears  flowed  freely,  and  the  scene  of  the 
Patriarch's  last  farewell  never  faded  from  their 
memories.  At  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years  his 
life  finally  closed  in  a  gentle  slumber,  through 
which  he  was  permitted  to  derive  some  glimmer- 
ings of  heaven,  in  the  shadowy  images  that  flitted 
before  him,  ere  he  closed  his  eyes  forever  on  earth. 

Beautiful  as  his  death,  were  the  last  observances 
paid  to  his  interment.  His  remains  lay  exposed  to 
view  in  the  chapel  at  Berthelsdorf,  and  were  visited 
by  all  the  people  of  Herrnhut  and  its  environs ;  soft 
music  and  solemn  hymns  performing  their  dirge-like 
harmony  during  the  exhibition  of  the  body,  as  was 
wont  on  all  great  occasions.  Then  it  was  borne  to 
the  Herrnhut  Cemetery,  where  it  now  reposes  among 
so  many  more  of  the  good  and  the  truly  great. 

In  following  up  the  career  of  another  artless  and 
devoted  man,  my  aim  has  chiefly  been  to  illustrate 
Moravianism,  by  furnishing  the  biography  of  one  of 
its  best  representatives  and  exponents.  All  that 
Spangenberg  has  performed,  —  all  that  he  has 
preached,  written,  and  sung,  (for  his  hymns,  like 
Zinzendorf's,  are  replete  with  the  one  great  theme 
of  Christ's  love  and  sacrifice,) — elucidate  in  their 


124     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

own  peculiar  and  engaging  light  the  whole  spirit  of 
Moravian  life.  Not  only  the  every-day  social  life 
can  be  gathered  here  in  these  memoirs,  but  the  mar- 
tyrdom of  the  people,  whose  history  is  included  in 
it,  nearly  up  to  the  close  of  the  last  century — its 
most  marked  and  eventful  epoch.  Such  untiring 
zeal  and  unfaltering  devotion  in  the  cause  of  his 
Master  was  only  equaled,  not  excelled,  by  the  "Dis- 
ciple" himself;  and  in  the  memoirs  that  have  been 
left,  drawn  chiefly  from  his  own  papers,  there  is 
nothing  to  show  but  perfect  consistency  in  the  whole 
course  of  his  life  and  Christian  mission.  His  career 
wTas  uniformly  pure  and  self-sacrificing;  he  was  at  all 
times  ready  to  yield  to  the  calls  of  his  people,  going 
to  and  fro,  wherever  summoned.  In  his  devotion,  his 
lamp  was  always  trimmed  and  burning,  and  in  his 
solicitude  for  his  flock,  he  was  ready  with  words  of 
reproof,  correction,  advice,  and  comfort,  at  all  times 
and  at  all  places.  As  a  man  and  a  Christian,  he  is  a 
striking  pattern  among  the  remarkable  men  who 
were  instrumental  in  building  up  the  renewed  church 
of  the  Brethren. 


VI. 

THE  MORAVIAN  CULTUS. 

The  nature  of  the  Moravian  Cultus,  or  mode  of 
worship,  forms,  and  rituals,  may  be  partly  inferred 
from  the  brief  sketch  I  have  given  of  Herrnhut; 
but,  in  addition  to  this,  it  demands  some  general  and 
abstract  views,  taken  from  a  stand-point  without 
the  pale  of  the  society.  I  have  avoided  entering  into 
many  details  of  the  religious  organization  of  Herrn- 
hut ;  as  the  Moravianism  of  America  forms  the  en- 
grossing subject  of  these  pages,  and  the  picture  of 
its  German  prototype  has  only  been  introduced  in 
order  to  furnish  the  origin  of  its  forms  and  customs, 
and,  thereby,  to  elucidate  their  spirit. 

Before  regarding  the  picture  of  the  festive  institu- 
tions, as  they  exist  in  Europe,  and  still,  in  some  de- 
gree, characterize  the  Moravian  rural  villages  in 
this  country,  I  must  premise,  that  the  same  distinc- 
tions of  age  and  sex  as  those  in  Herrnhut  were 
strictly  preserved  in  the  religious  arrangements  of 
Moravian  life  and  worship.  To  each  of  these  di- 
visions, or  "Choirs,"  was  reserved  its  appointed 
times  and  places  of  inculcation,  devotion,  and  fes- 
tivity;   for    between   these   three   avocations,    life, 

(125) 


126  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

spiritually  speaking,  was  divided.  Children,  youth, 
and  adults  of  either  sex,  and  the  married  collectively, 
were  divided  into  distinct  classes,  who,  although  all 
assembling  together  on  general  church  occasions 
every  Sunday,  or  at  intermediate  times,  had,  in 
addition,  their  separate  meetings,  and  these  gene- 
rally preceding  a  Festival.  To  each  of  these  classes 
of  the  congregation  was  allotted  one  Festival  during 
the  year,  and  a  general  Festival  of  the  whole  united 
"Choirs"  took  place  annually.  These  subdivisions 
of  the  religious  family  might  be  termed  the  "  Choir 
System;"  and  all  exclusive  meetings,  or  Festivals  of 
the  "Choirs,"  "Choir  Meetings,"  or  "Choir  Festi- 
vals," denoting  that  the  solemnity  was  appropriated 
to  the  particular  "  Choir"  by  whose  name  it  was  called. 

To  the  outward  observer  of  the  Moravian  picture, 
as  presented  to  him  for  the  first  time,  nothing  ap- 
peared more  striking  than  the  white  dress  of  the 
children,  girls,  and  single  Sisters.  On  their  Festi- 
vals they  were  all  seen  thus  attired,  and  the  head- 
dress was  the  "Gemein  Haube,"  or  "Schneppel 
Haube,"  as  it  was  sometimes  familiarly  termed,  a 
cap  worn  by  all  the  female  portion  of  the  congrega- 
tion. It  is  now  laid  aside  in  America,  but  in  Ger- 
many it  is  still  preserved,  and  regarded  with  some 
degree  of  veneration  by  those  who  uphold,  rigidly, 
the  outward  forms  of  Moravianism. 

This  cap  is  a  singularly  plain  head-dress,  generally 
consisting  of  four  pieces  or  parts,  and  tied  under  the 
chin  by  ribbons  of  different  colors,  to  distinguish  the 


j 


THE  MORAVIAN  CULTUS.         127 

"  Choir."  The  children  wore  the  light-red  ribbon, 
the  girls  the  dark-red,  the  single  Sisters  pink,  the 
married  women  blue,  and  the  widows  white.  By 
these  simple  badges  the  whole  sisterhood  designated 
its  various  "  Choirs,"  and  in  the  celebration  of  a 
Festival,  the  whole  "Choir"  appeared  in  its  pre- 
scribed costume. 

Previous  to  all  annual  Festivals  and  Sacraments, 
each  "Choir"  was  wont  to  repair  to  its  Principal, 
(Pfleger  or  Pflegerin,)  the  visit  being  usually  per- 
formed singly  by  each  individual,  to  receive  admo- 
nition as  to  spiritual  guidance  and  self-examination, 
which  the  approaching  solemnities  seemed  to  demand. 
The  interview  lasted  about  fifteen  minutes,  and  the 
duties  involved  in  it  were  regarded  of  serious  import 
by  all  in  whom  an  inner  religious  life  was  active. 
We  may  naturally  suppose  that  this  devotional  regi- 
men, in  the  earlier  stages  of  Moravianism,  was  highly 
conducive  to  its  advancement  in  true  piety,  and  that 
such  communings  with  a  Superior  were  sought  after 
and  valued  as  precious  moments ;  but  as  the  commu- 
nity enlarged  its  limits,  and  the  heart  lost  its  purity, 
many  repaired  to  the  place  of  visitation  with  alloyed 
motives  and  feelings. 

By  many  a  spectator  of  the  Moravian  forms,  these 
monthly  "Speakings,"  as  they  were  termed,  were 
regarded  in  the  light  of  the  Roman  Catholic  confes- 
sion, and  the  motives  of  that  institution  were  imputed 
to  the  Moravian  Sister,  as  she  sat  before  her  Princi- 
pal.    The  interview,  however,  was  of  a  somewhat 

12 


128  MORAVIAN   LIFE   A.ND    CHARACTER. 

different  nature,  as  it  consisted  in  a  mutual  inter- 
change of  Christian  sentiment,  without  the  exaction 
of  any  confession  of  past  transactions.  In  such 
communings  there  may,  naturally,  have  been  ac- 
knowledgments of  past  error,  on  the  part  of  the 
individual  who  called  on  his  or  her  Principal,  yet 
the  design  of  this  institution  did  not  point  to  the 
confession,  but  rather  to  a  perfectly  unrestrained 
disclosure  of  Christian  experience.  The  responsi- 
bilities of  this  office  were  held  of  no  little  import- 
ance, as  the  influence  imparted  by  the  person,  either 
male  or  female,  who  dispensed  the  words  of  exhor- 
tation to  each  distinct  "Choir,"  was  supposed  to 
keep  alive  the  spirit  of  faith,  hope,  and  love.  The 
regular  event  of  the  monthly  "Speaking"  was  the 
most  appropriate  precursor  of  the  solemnity  that 
was  to  follow,  and  had  its  chastening  effect  upon  the 
soul  of  the  candidate  for  the  communion.  Another 
precursor  of  these  solemnities  was  the  separate 
"Choir  Meeting,"  which  derived  its  beautiful  and 
solemn  feature  from  the  exclusive  number  and  dis- 
tinct class  of  candidates  for  the  Festival,  and  to 
which  a  peculiar  tone  of  devotion  was  imparted  in 
the  forms  of  prayer  and  liturgic  singing. 

The  origin  of  the  Choir  Festival  generally  at- 
tached itself  to  some  bright  point  of  history,  where, 
in  the  past  annals  of  the  Church,  a  remarkable 
awakening  had  taken  place  in  the  earlier  epochs  of 
Herrnhut.  Out  of  this  origin  some  sacred  feeling 
emanated,  and,  although  the  Festival  was  a  matter 


THE  MORAVIAN  CULTUS.         129 

of  joy,  the  happiness  of  the  day  was  always  imbued 
with  solemnity.  On  the  opening  of  the  Festival,  in 
the  morning,  the  event  was  announced  from  the 
belfry  of  the  church  by  chorales,  performed  on  wind 
instruments,  and  as  the  "  Choir,"  in  whose  honor 
the  day  was  celebrated,  entered  the  hall  of  worship, 
these  strains  of  solemn  melody  sounded  impressively 
upon  the  ears  of  all.  Within  the  precincts  of  the 
Sisters'  House  it  was  usual  for  the  Sisters,  on  their 
own  Festival,  to  receive  the  salutation  of  a  choir  of 
female  voices,  greeting  them  at  daylight,  before 
they  rose,  with  anthems  of  joy.  In  addition  to  this, 
congratulations  were  extended  to  all  those  who  were 
celebrating  their  anniversary,  a  custom  whose  deri- 
vation is  traced  to  Herrnhut,  where  anniversaries 
are  marked  by  affectionate  congratulations  on  all 
sides.  These  were  expressive  of  sympathy  in  the  en- 
joyments of  the  "  Choir,"  ancj  when  dispensed  by  the 
aged  to  the  young,  they  were  in  token  of  a  blessing 
upon  their  opening  Christian  career. 

As  to  the  services  of  the  church  during  the  Festi- 
val, they  consisted  in  the  usual  forms  of  devotion, 
preaching  and  singing  ;  the  introduction  and  close, 
as  well  as  that  of  the  Love-Feast,  always  character- 
ized by  orchestral  music,  selected  from  the  old  and 
best  masters  of  cathedral  composition.  This  species 
of  music  received  no  small  degree  of  cultivation ; 
and,  as  it  was  expressive  of  the  Moravian  love  of 
music  in  general,  found  a  useful  application  in  all 
solemn  church  celebrations.     At  an  earlier  period  of 


130     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

Moravian  history,  the  Festival  of  the  single  Sisters 
was  accompanied  by  a  multitude  of  ceremonials  and 
church  services,  yet  these  were  so  blended  with 
vocal  and  instrumental  music  as  to  render  the  scene 
highly  picturesque,  viewed  by  a  mere  spectator,  aside 
from  its  spiritual  character. 

In  tracing  the  derivation  of  these  rituals  to  their 
source,  I  must  refer  the  reader  to  a  remarkable 
Sisters'  Festival,  which  took  place  in  Herrnhaag,  in 
the  month  of  May,  1747.  It  has  already  been  told 
that  this  place  was  the  seat  of  the  Brethren  during 
the  Count's  exile,  and  that  there  was  exhibited  that 
excessive  ferment  which  caused  so  much  disfigure- 
ment to  our  early  church.  "  Early  in  the  morning," 
says  the  writer  of  the  chronicle,  who,  from  the  lan- 
guage and  terms,  appears  to  have  been  a  participant, 
"  the  Sisters  were  awakened  from  their  slumbers  by 
the  voices  of  Anna1  and  the  other  Eldresses,  greet- 
ing them  in  a  well-known  psalm.  A  second  psalm 
followed,  and  upon  hearing  the  third  psalm,  all  arose 
and  proceeded  down  stairs,  singing  together.  At 
seven  o'clock  they  repaired  to  the  chapel,  where  the 
morning  blessing  was  given  by  Papa.2  After  the 
usual  morning  services,  the  whole  '  Choir'  of  maidens 
proceeded,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  to  meet 
the  Sisters  of  Marienborn,  three  miles  from  Herrn- 


1  Anna  Nitschmann,  the  chief  Eldress  of  Herrnhaag,  and 
previously  of  Herrnliut. 

2  Count  Zinzendorf,  who  was  thus  familiarly  called. 


THE   MORAVIAN   CULTUS.  131 

haag.  They  passed  through  the  avenue  leading  in 
that  direction,  and  when  the  two  'Choirs'  came  in 
view  of  each  other,  that  of  Herrnhaag  divided,  ar- 
ranging itself  on  opposite  sides,  and  permitted  the 
procession  from  Marienborn  to  pass  through.  These 
were  then  greeted  by  Anna,  she  addressing  Justina, 
Eldress  of  the  Marienborn  choir,  and  her  colleague, 
Anna  Johanna,  addressing  Salome,  colleague  of  Jus- 
tina. As  they  all  moved  in  a  body  toward  the 
church,  the  musicians,1  who  sat  upon  the  oval  bench 
before  it,  saluted  them,  and  upon  their  entrance  into 
the  hall  of  worship,  the  trombones  pealed  forth 
sacred  anthems,  aided  by  the  voices  of  the  congre- 
gation. 

"  The  whole  number  of  virgins  on  this  occasion 
was  about  two  hundred  and  fifty,  who  were  all,  with- 
out exception,  attired  in  white. 

"Among  the  guests  present  were  many  of  the 
families  of  the  nobility.  The  hymn  used  for  the 
Love-Feast  was  the  Forty-fifth  Psalm,  the  most  ap- 
propriate cantata  ever  sung. 

"  Succeeding  the  Love-Feast,  and  after  the  inter- 
val of  one  hour,  came  the  evening  liturgy.  Here 
the  *  Choir'  sat  arranged  as  in  the  Love-Feast,  and, 
during  the  meeting,  the  '  Te  Sponsam'  was  sung. 
While  this  was  performing,  Anna  Johanna  arose, 
and,  proceeding  toward  the  Count  and  Countess, 
knelt  before  them,  receiving  their  benediction,   as 

1  Female  performers. 
12* 


132  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

well  as  that  of  Benigna,  the  Deaconess  of  the  Single 
Sisters,  and,  at  the  same  time,  was  ordained  Eldress 
of  the  Single  Sisterhood.  Then  all  the  Principals,1 
fifty  in  number,  saluted  her  with  a  kiss,  and  the 
solemn  scene  drew  tears  from  the  eyes  of  every  one 
present.  The  next  meeting  following  upon  this  was 
the  singing  meeting,  which  was  held  in  a  most  patri- 
archal manner  by  Christian."2 

Our  narrator  informs  us  that  the  Illumination 
next  followed,  and  that  it  was  worthy  of  the  occa- 
sion. The  Sister's  House  was  filled  with  light,  and 
with  various  transparencies  and  inscriptions,  all  com- 
memorative of  the  event.  The  Choir  of  Sisters 
went  out  by  pairs,  during  the  illumination,  into  the 
square  before  the  house,  and,  while  standing  there, 
sung  hymns  of  praise.  After  they  had  retired,  and 
had  closed  their  doors,  the  congregation  sung  be- 
fore the  dwelling  "hymns  of  rest,"  (Schlaflieder.) 
Finally,  between  the  hours  of  eleven  and  twelve 
o'clock,  they  closed  the  performances  of  the  day  by 
an  evening  blessing,  dispensed  by  the  Count,  after 
which  they  all  retired  to  rest,  filled  with  the  deepest 
emotions. 

The  Festival  here  described  is  illustrative  of  an 
over-wrought  Moravianism  that  characterized  the 
middle  of  the  last  century,  and  found  its  full  de- 

1  Pflegerinnen,  each  having  a  small  company  of  Sisters 
under  her  care. 

2  Christian  Renatus,  son  of  Count  Zinzendorf.  His  por- 
trait hangs  in  the  church  at  Bethlehem. 


THE  MORAVIAN  CULTUS.         133 

velopment  at  Herrnhaag.  Since  then  its  tone  and 
rituals  have  become  greatly  modified,  and  less  ob- 
noxious to  the  censure  which,  with  some  degree  of 
justice,  was  cast  upon  it. 

Up  to  a  recent  date,  the  Sisters'  Festival  was  sus- 
tained in  our  villages  with  all  its  unique  observances. 
The  early  salutation  at  the  doors  of  the  sleeping 
apartments;  the  procession  to  and  from  the  place 
of  worship,  of  girls  in  white  apparel,  with  the  cha- 
racteristic head-dress  and  pink  ribbon,  and  the 
whole  of  the  front  seats  of  the  church  presenting  a 
uniform  picture  of  the  maiden's  choir ;  the  absorb- 
ing music  of  the  orchestra;  the  promenades  in  the 
open  air  in  the  garden,  with  music  in  the  inter- 
vals from  an  amateur  company  of  musicians;  the 
chorales  on  the  trombones  on  the  opening  of  the 
Love-Feast,  as  in  the  days  of  Marienborn  and 
Herrnhaag ;  the  congratulations  extended  by  the  old 
to  the  young,  indicating  their  wishes  for  happiness 
now  and  solicitude  for  a  life's  peace  in  future, — all 
these  demonstrations  of  a  refined,  cultivated,  and 
deeply-devoted  Christian  life,  were  witnessed  in  our 
Moravian  villages. 

The  Festival  of  the  Single  Brethren,  too,  had  its 
marked  features,  and  they  passed  through  many  of 
the  solemnities  that  honored  the  Single  Sisters,  such 
as  anthems  and  chorales  on  wind  instruments  in  the 
morning,  the  harbinger  of  the  Festival,  the  proces- 
sion into  the  church,  the  enjoyment  of  Love-Feast 
and  collations  during   the  day,   the  final  close  at 


134     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

evening  with  some  beautiful  and  stirring  performance 
of  the  orchestra,  introductory  to  the  liturgy, — all 
these  festivities  constituted  the  round  of  a  Chris- 
tian Moravian's  life,  and  lent  to  the  aspect  of  his 
creed  the  realization  of  a  heaven  on  this  side  of 
eternity. 

\Ve  might  term  the  Festival  the  great  embodi- 
ment of  the  strongest  characteristics  of  Moravian- 
ism,  a  perfect  blending  of  profound  religion  with 
earthly  pleasure.  It  is  not  often  that  we  discover 
such  a  phenomenon  in  the  social  world  that  admits 
and  exercises  Christianity.  There  is  a  feeling  of 
stern  dutv  in  its  religion  that  too  often  blunts  the 
pleasure  of  ordinary  life,  and  the  line  drawn  be- 
tween the  two  is  so  strongly  marked  that  one  must 
be  sacrificed  to  the  other. 

The  spirit  of  the  species  of  devotion  shadowed 
forth  in  the  sketch  I  have  just  given  was  of  Ger- 
man extraction,  and  sprung  from  the  national  modes 
of  life  and  thought  of  a  people  in  Avhoni  a  deep- 
seated  feeling  of  religion  is  prominent.  As  long  as 
the  German  element  prevailed  in  our  villages,  and 
remained  free  from  the  influence  of  American  enter- 
prise and  its  materialistic  tendencies,  the  pure  scenes 
of  the  Festival  were  enacted  in  the  manner  drawn 
in  the  preceding  picture.  But  time,  which  changes 
all  things,  is  fast  resolving  the  poetic  into  the  com- 
monplace, and  as  religion  assumes  the  garb  of 
austerity  and  stern  conventionality,  its  spirituality 
becomes  more  dimly  seen.     To  secure  the  influences 


THE  MORAVIAN  CULTUS.         135 

of  devotion  upon  the  human  mind,  no  scenes  are 
better  calculated  than  those  springing  out  of  the 
naive  and  simple.  In  the  attempts  of  art  to  present 
the  most  engaging  pictures  of  humanity,  or  to  por- 
tray such  scenes  as  are  of  the  most  pure  and  spi- 
ritual tone,  it  should  seek  out  nature,  or  man  in  such 
positions  as  conform  most  nearly  to  nature.  In 
the  outpourings  of  the  soul,  as  we  see  them  in  the 
past  history  of  the  Moravian,  in  the  unaffected  and 
innocent  manifestations  of  his  devotional  career,  we 
are  made  conscious  of  a  poetic,  and  even  romantic 
blending  of  religious  emotion  with  the  every-day 
transactions  of  his  social  existence.  To  infuse  into 
this  existence  the  joys  of  religion,  to  make  every 
spiritual  motive  identical  with  pleasure,  the  plea- 
sure of  the  soul,  was  the  great  end  of  the  Moravian 
Cultus.  Any  mode  of  worship  that  can  clothe  the 
Christian's  faith  in  such  enticing  colors,  or  impart 
to  the  daily  routine  of  a  selfish  and  disappointed 
existence  the  sacred  recreations  that  characterized 
old  Moravian  life,  must  serve  to  nourish  the  flame 
of  religious  thought,  and  keep  pure  and  flowing  the 
fountains  of  a  simple  but  holy  creed. 

Yet  in  examining  the  question,  why  the  Moravian 
Cultus  produced  such  marked  results  upon  the  out- 
ward character  and  inner  life  of  the  individual,  we 
cannot  allow  the  influences  exerted  by  music  to  es- 
cape our  attention.  As  music  constitutes  the  en- 
trance to  the  world  of  spiritual  thought,  its  study 
and  practice  tell,  with  remarkable  force,  upon  the 
emotional  part  of  the  Christian  character.     From 


136  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

the  earliest  period  in  the  history  of  the  Brethren, 
its  cultivation  was  an  essential  portion  of  all  the 
rituals  of  the  Church,  and  it  not  only  proved  the  in- 
spiring, elevating,  and  chastening  handmaid  of  de- 
votion, but  gave  vitality  to  all  the  forms  of  social 
life. 

Although  the  idea  of  the  Festival,  in  its  applica- 
tion to  religious  purposes,  is  foreign  to  American 
thought,  and  forms  no  feature  in  our  plan  of  wor- 
ship, it  is  common  in  Europe;  and  where  Roman 
Catholicism  reigns,  the  festal  holiday  is  a  frequent 
occurrence.  In  those  old  countries  it  belongs  to  the 
traditions  of  the  people,  and  on  the  days  set  apart 
for  the  celebration  of  those  saints'  anniversaries,  which 
fill  the  Roman  calendar,  crowds  are  seen,  in  best 
attire,  attending  the  cathedrals.  Should  it  fall  en- 
tirely into  decadence  here,  we  must  attribute  the 
misfortune,  as  we  ought  to  deem  it,  to  the  great  uni- 
formity of  American  thought  and  feelings,  on  all 
points  of  custom,  usage,  and  recreation.  What  is 
deemed  admissible  in  Europe,  where  the  force  of  tra- 
dition allows  nothing  to  be  lopped  away,  would  be 
thought  out  of  place  here. 

An  old  and  beautiful  custom  prevailed  in  many 
households,  and  may  still  be  found  here  and  there  to 
this  day,  of  asking  a  blessing  at  every  meal,  in  a 
hymn,  consisting  of  a  single  verse.  The  verse,  if 
sung  at  the  breakfast-table,  is  accompanied  by  the 
reading  of  the  Daily  Text,  a  small  manual,  published 
annually,  and  containing  texts  from  the   Old  and 


THE  MORAVIAN  CULTUS.  137 

New  Testament,  for  every  day,  each  text  being 
coupled  with  a  verse.  In  the  memoirs  of  Zinzendorf 
and  Spangenberg,  reference  has  been  made  to  the 
use  of  the  Text-Book,  and  though  it  is  no  longer 
in  as  general  use,  as  a  pocket-companion,  as  it  was 
in  earlier  times,  yet  it  is  generally  adhered  to  by  all 
staunch  Moravians,  and  its  perusal  at  the  breakfast- 
table  is  a  fixed  custom. 

Another  favorite  companion  of  the  morning  meal 
was  the  Birth-Day  Book.  In  this  repository  were 
recorded  the  names  of  all  friends,  far  and  near,  living 
and  dead,  the  places  of  their  nativity,  birth,  age,  etc., 
making  a  record  of  those  most  dear  to  the  heads  of 
the  family;  and  while  the  anniversary  of  their  births 
is  referred  to,  they  are  kept  alive  in  the  memory  of 
cotemporary  or  surviving  love  and  affection.  As  the 
Birth-Day  Book  acquired  a  somewhat  venerable  cha- 
racter in  the  family,  as  it  passed  down  to  posterity, 
the  accumulation  of  names  of  former  days  gave  it  ad- 
ditional interest  and  value,  and  where  it  succeeded 
in  escaping  the  wear  and  tear  of  time,  and  had  out- 
lived many  generations,  it  was  clung  to  as  one  of  the 
relics  deemed  most  worthy  of  preservation. 

When  traveling,  the  Moravian  of  the  patriarchal 
times  had  his  "Reiselieder,"  or  traveling  hymns. 
These,  sung  in  the  solitude  of  the  chamber,  before  re- 
tiring, or  at  rising  in  the  morning,  or  performed  in 
agreeable  chorus  by  several  pilgrims,  added  solace 
to  the  journey,  and,  if  on  the  mission  of  evangelical 
labor,  assuaged  its  toils  and  hardships.     We  might 


138  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

raise  up  before  us  many  a  pleasant  picture,  if  we 
were  to  imagine  the  traveling  missionary,  before 
starting  on  the  errand  of  Christian  love,  pour  forth 
in  the  depth  of  the  forest  those  inimitable  hymns  we 
possess,  and  which,  with  the  melodies  that  accom- 
pany them,  remain  intact.  In  addition  to  these, 
there  were  "Wiege  Lieder,"  or  cradle  hymns,  in 
which  Christ,  under  the  personification  of  an  infant, 
is  introduced,  and  made  the  subject  of  song  for  the 
cradled  child. 

As  labor  was  placed  in  the  same  attitude  it  en- 
joyed in  Herrnhut,  as  an  active  element  of  an  ideal 
congregation,  and  carried  out  in  reality  by  the  fol- 
lowers of  Zinzendorf,  it  requires  notice,  under  the 
general  head  of  a  Moravian  Cultus.  In  the  earlier 
portion  of  our  history  in  America,  and  even  up  to  a 
very  late  period,  labor  had  its  dignity  and  its  re- 
ligious aspect,  all  of  which  it  derived  from  the 
organization  of  social  life  in  Herrnhut,  of  which  ours 
was  an  imitation.  The  whole  daily  transaction  of  a 
commonplace  life  being  imbued  with  one  thought, 
which  was  always  uppermost,  and  Christ  being  the 
embodiment  of  that  thought,  every  human  purpose 
became  dedicated  to  it.  Under  this  conception  of 
the  true  end  and  aim  of  labor,  no  one  considered  it 
disgraceful  to  be  engaged  in  pursuits  of  domestic 
economy,  in  trade  or  agriculture.  To  carry  out  the 
conception  of  Herrnhut,  every  calling  had  its  so- 
lemnization. The  reapers,  the  mowers,  the  ploughers, 
the  washers,  the  scourers,  had  their  Love-Feasts,  and 


THE  MORAVIAN  CULTUS.  139 

their  appropriate  hymns.  "When  the  reapers  entered 
upon  the  harvest,  or  the  ploughers  commenced  or 
ended  their  work,  a  Love-Feast  opened  the  under- 
taking, or  crowned  its  successful  issue. 

The  "Spinne  Lieder,"  or  spinning  hymns,  were 
very  common,  and  adapted  to  the  exercises  of  that 
once  useful  art.  "We  have  still  left  recorded  many 
amusing  little  morceaux,  characteristic  of  the  simple 
scenes  that  were  enacted,  when  a  company  of  Sisters 
sat  with  distaff  or  spinning-wheel,  and  whiled  away 
the  hours,  with  the  accompaniment  of  hymns.  Thus 
every  day  and  every  pursuit  had  its  appropriate 
sacred  lyric,  sanctifying,  beautifying,  and  ennobling 
life,  and  strewing  its  thorny  paths  with  the  roses  of 
celestial  hopes. 

I  recur  to  these  observances  of  the  fading  past 
with  peculiar  emotions,  as  they  are  the  indications 
of  a  poetical  age,  where  the  pictures  of  life  have 
reality  for  their  pencil,  and  the  moral  they  inculcate 
sinks  deeply  into  the  heart  of  the  living  age.  That 
faith,  on  which  those  early  Moravian  pilgrims 
grounded  their  hopes,  was  a  sterling  faith,  undis- 
turbed by  the  agitations  of  modern  thought  and  in- 
vestigation, and  the  hymns  they  poured  forth  under 
all  the  circumstances  of  rest,  labor,  and  travel,  were 
pure  inspirations,  and  carried  with  them  the  beati- 
tude of  heavenly  peace. 

I  have  remarked  that  music  characterized  the 
whole  life  of  the  Moravian,  in  the  sanctuary,  in  the 
family,  in  traveling,  and  at  labor.  Hymns  were  not 
13 


140  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

only  adapted  to  departure  and  rest,  but  were  often 
sung  by  the  Sisters  when  going  from  place  to  place; 
and  it  is  related  that  those  of  Marienborn  and 
Herrnhaag,  while  passing  to  and  fro,  used  to 
make  the  woods  resound  with  their  chants.  This 
music  was,  and  yet  is,  of  a  high  and  classic  order, 
being  of  the  old  German  school,  while  the  orches- 
tral performances  are  chosen  from  the  works  of 
Haydn,  Beethoven,  Mozart,  and  others.1  The  Love- 
Feasts  are  generally  enlivened  with  at  least  one 
parage  from  the  Creation,  the  Psalms  being  printed 
and  circulated  among  the  congregation.  Most  of 
the  quaint  phraseology  of  the  Moravian  hymns  has 
been  expunged,  and  in  addition  to  the  numerous 
translations  from  the  German,  many  of  Watts's  com- 
positions have  been  introduced. 

1  Among  those  who  first  promoted  and  gave  form  to  the 
Moravian  Church  music,  may  be  named  Tobias  Frederick,  a 
peasant  boy.  who  appeared  among  the  early  emigrants  of 
1722,  and  was  distinguished  at  the  youthful  age  of  thirteen 
years  for  his  extraordinary  musical  abilities.  He  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  musical  public  in  general  for  his  genius ; 
traveled  through  Denmark  and  Sweden,  where,  as  well  as  at 
the  University  of  Jena,  he  performed  great  services  in  aiding 
the  work  and  knowledge  of  the  Brethren,  at  that  early  period. 
He  was  appointed  to  the  directorship  of  their  sacred  music  at 
Herrnhut.  in  which  capacity  he  raised  its  character  to  that 
standard  of  purity  and  harmony,  in  all  its  combinations, 
which  render  its  approach  to  the  ideal  of  an  angelic  choir  as 
near  as  can  be  conceived.  Tobias  Frederick  died  in  1736, 
and,  taken  all  in  all,  has  never  yet  been  equaled.  (See  Croe- 
gefs  Briidergeschichte.) 


THE    MORAVIAN    CULTUS.  141 

The  German  Hymn-Book  contains  the  produc- 
tions of  older  writers,  from  the  middle  of  the  seven- 
teenth up  to  the  end  of  the  last  century,  and  some 
even  date  as  early  as  the  latter  part  of  the  six- 
teenth century.  Those  authors  whose  lyrics  are 
most  copiously  selected  are  Zinzendorf,  his  son, 
Christian  Renatus,  Anna  Nitschmann,  Luise  von 
Hayn,  Erdmuth  Dorothea  von  Zinzendorf,  Span- 
genberg,  etc. ;  and  among  the  older  writers  are 
found  Paul  Gerhard  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
Schindler,  Heerman,  Schiitz ;  and  still  earlier,  Luther 
and  those  of  his  time.1     Of  these  bards,  many  be- 

1  The  hymn-books  now  in  general  use  in  the  Moravian 
Church  are  but  concise  abridgments  of  the  older  manuals  of 
the  Brethren.  In  reviewing  the  lyrical  history  of  the  univer- 
sal Protestant  Church,  we  are  struck  with  the  great  produc- 
tiveness of  the  early  ages  in  sacred  song.  It  is  supposed  that 
not  less  than  70,000  hymns  are  in  existence,  under  the  various 
forms  of  composition  in  which  they  have  appeared  from  time 
to  time.  Of  our  primitive  hymn-books,  which  were  generally 
stored  with  the  poetry  of  previous  editions,  the  largest  was 
that  compiled  in  London  by  Zinzendorf  in  the  year  1753, 
containing  2169  hymns,  to  which  a  second  volume  was  added 
in  1754,  comprising  1096  additional  ones.  In  this  second 
volume  are  to  be  found  a  large  number  of  the  improvisate 
effusions  of  the  Count,  which  were  occasionally  gathered  as 
they  proceeded  from  the  lips  of  this  prolific  bard. 

The  first  form  seen  in  this  collection  is  that  elementary  spe- 
cies of  the  church  hymn,  which  consisted  of  the  Bible  songs 
of  praise,  thanksgiving,  and  devotion,  found  in  the  various 
books  of  the  Old  Testament,  from  Genesis  to  Isaiah,  and  in 
the  Xew  Testament,  from  Matthew  to  Kevelations.  This  was 
an  ancient  form  of  sacred  psalmody,  and  common  to  the 
whole  Christian  Church  in  the  remotest  times  of  which  we 


142  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

longed  to  noble  families,  and  we  find  the  names  of 
counts  and  countesses  appended  to  a  large  portion 


have  any  knowledge.  These  hymns  are  numbered  from  1  to 
110.  AVe  then  find  the  Bible  texts,  from  111  to  193,  arranged 
in  verse,  some  of  which  may  be  classed  among  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  our  hymns,  such  as  the  Twenty -third  Psalm, 
rendered  in  German.  These  parodies  were  not  confined  to 
the  Old  Testament,  but  the  texts  of  the  New  Testament  are 
metrically  arranged  in  the  same  manner  as  those  of  the  Old 
Testament.  The  hymns  numbered  from  194  to  2G5  are  trans- 
lations from  the  Greek  of  the  Eastern  Church,  from  the  Chal- 
daic  of  the  Alexandrian  Church,  and  from  the  Latin  of  the 
"Western  Church. 

After  these  follow  those  properly  termed  the  Hymns  of  the 
Ancient  Brethren.  Nos.  266  to  432,  where  the  productions  of 
John  Hus,1  of  the  fifteenth  century,  and  Michael  AVeissen,  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  are  brought  to  notice. 

Then  follow  the  hymns  after  the  Keformation,  such  as  the 
Augsburg  Confession  in  metre,  the  symbolical  hymn  of  Berne, 
the  hymns  of  Luther,  Speratus,  Matthesius,  X.  Herrmann,  etc., 
Nos.  433  to  509. 

Nos.  510  to  821  comprise  the  lyrics  of  Nicolaus,  Herber- 
ger,  Paul  Gerhard,  Angelus,  Heerman,  and  others;  and  the 
remaining  hymns,  up  to  2169,  are  the  compositions  of  writers 
who  lived  during  the  succeeding  interval  between  this  and 
the  middle  of  the  last  century,  soon  after  which  there  seems 
to  have  been  a  decline  in  this  species  of  poesy,  as  few  authors 
are  recognized  of  more  recent  date  than  the  year  of  Zinzen- 
dorf  s  death,  which  was  1760. 

The  most  hallowed  specimen  of  the  quite  ancient  music 
still  in  vogue  in  the  Brethren's  Church,  is  the  "Te  Deurn 
Laudamus,"  the  composition  of  which  is  ascribed  to  Ambro- 
sius,  Bishop  of  Milan.     This  venerable  production  is  now 


1  The  authority  for  this  corrected  spelling  of  the  name  of  the  Great  Reformer, 
is  Rev.  Dr.  Boniberger's  edition  of  lIertzog"s  Cyclopedia  of  Biblical  Literature. 


THE  MORAVIAN  CULTUS.         143 

of  our  German  hymns.  One  of  the  most  beautiful 
and   simple  of  all   is   that  written   by  Ludomilla, 

nearly  1500  years  old,  and  has  been  in  general  use  through- 
out the  Catholic  and  Protestant  Churches  since  its  first  ema- 
nation from  the  church  which  gave  it  birth. 

In  connection  with  its  origin,  it  is  related  of  this  hymn 
that  when  St.  Augustine  was  converted  to  Christianity,  and 
was  baptized  by  Ambrosius,  they  sung  the  whole  of  the  "  Te 
Deum  Laudamus"  together,  in  alternate  verses ;  Ambrosius 
began  and  Augustine  followed,  each  composing  a  verse  under 
the  inspiration  of  the  moment,  the  lines  of  which  were  after- 
wards preserved  and  handed  down  to  succeeding  ages. 

Of  the  class  of  hymnologists  enumerated  in  the  sixteenth 
and  seventeenth  centuries,  none  was  more  fertile  than  Paul 
Gerhard,  who  was  pastor  in  Berlin,  and,  subsequently,  in  Lub- 
den,  in  Lower  Lusatia.  He  was  born  in  1616,  and  died  in 
1676.  The  number  of  his  productions,  which  were  mostly 
sacred,  was  not  less  than  120,  and  far  exceeded  that  of  Lu- 
ther's hymns,  who  wrote  but  37.  Of  all  the  lyrical  writers  of 
his  time,  he  was  best  acquainted  with  the  wants  and  taste  of 
the  people,  and  more  than  any  other  wrote  in  the  vein  of  popu- 
lar feeling. 

Nicholas  Herrmann,  the  Cantor  of  Joachimsthal,  is  noted 
for  many  national  hymns,  the  most  celebrated  of  which  is, 
"When  my  hour  draweth  nigh,"  "Wenn  mein  Stiindlein 
vorhanden  ist,"  etc. 

Zinzendorf  himself  was  so  addicted  to  versification,  that  he 
not  only  extemporized,  wrote,  thought,  prayed,  and  sung  the 
exhaustless  sacred  themes  that  engrossed  his  soul,  but  en- 
gaged any  one  else  in  the  exercise  of  poesy,  wherever  any 
latent  talent  for  this  gift  seemed  to  dwell. 

In  the  infancy  of  Herrnhut  it  was  a  universal  propensity 
among  its  people  to  combine  sacred  song  with  all  their  aspi- 
rations, and  when  the  Count  found  a  peasant  girl,  or  a  peasant, 
13* 


Ill     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

Countess  of  Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt,  who  died  in 
1672. 

Finer  ist  es  dein  ich  lebe, 

Pen  ich  liebe  fr'uh  und  split, 
Jesus  ist  es  dem  ich  gebe 

or  mir  gegeben  hat. 
Bin  ich  in  sein  Verdienst  verlilillt  ? 
Fuhre  mich,  Ilerr,  wie  du  willt. 

One  there  is  for  whom  I  live, 

Constant  love  to  Him  I  owe  ; 
All  I  have  to  Him  I  give, 

All  I  have  did  He  bestow. 
Am  I  in  thy  service  still? 
Lord,  conform  me  to  thy  will. 

inclined  to  metrical  thought,  he  endeavored  to  bring  forth 
some  crude  poetical  effort.  He  was  in  the  habit  of  assem- 
bling small  companies,  and  proposing  to  them  some  subject, 
on  which  they  all  wrote,  and  then  handed  in  their  compo- 
sitions for  revision.  He  was  particularly  desirous  of  eliciting 
rehearsals  from  those  Brethren  who  had  encountered  trials 
and  severe  mental  vicissitudes  in  their  journeyings,  at  sea,  in 
prison,  or  among  the  heathen, — making  them  available  as  the 
choicest  material  for  sacred  song. 

Singing  is  not  merely  a  peculiarity  of  the  modern  Moravian, 
but  was  cultivated  by  the  Unites  Fratrum  and  the  Bohemian 
Brethren  long  before  them,  for  we  even  find  it  among  the 
charges  brought  against  John  Hus  and  Hieronymus  of 
Prague,  that  they  had  made  attempts  to  seduce  the  people 
over  to  their  doctrines,  by  conveying  these  in  sacred  verse, 
and  in  the  vernacular  language  ! 

The  famous  David  Chystraeus,  who  delivered  a  discourse 

in  1509,  on  the  state  of  the  Christian  churches  in  Greece, 

and  Bohemia,  testifies  to  this  peculiar  quality  of  the  old 

Bohemian  worship,  and  says  that  in  all  their  meetings,  the 

Brethren  sung  very  delightfully. 


THE   MORAVIAN    CULTUS.  145 

The  melodies  founded  on  the  rules  of  pure  har- 
mony, and  emanating,  as  I  have  said,  from  the  older 
schools  of  classic  music,  are  distinguished  for  the 
soul  that  animates  them,  their  depth  and  sincerity 
of  thought.  In  most  instances,  they  are  sung  with 
organ  accompaniment,  but  it  frequently  occurs  that 
they  are  heard  with  a  full  chorus  of  voices,  without 
accompaniment,  which  gives  them  a  striking  and  an 
abiding  effect.  Though  not  calculated  for  display, 
or  to  seize  upon  the  popular  or  uneducated  mind, 
they  live  forever  in  such  hearts  as  have  a  genuine  sus- 
ceptibility for  harmony,  and  have  had  this  awakened 
by  culture. 

In  Germany,  the  cultivation  of  music  is  closely 
interwoven  with  all  the  pursuits  of  life,  and  as  long 
as  it  remains  so  essentially  natural  among  our  Mo- 
ravian Brethren  there,  the  ritual,  in  all  its  primi- 
tive forms,  will  be  able  to  retain  a  foothoold.  In 
this  country,  however,  the  musical  tone  and  taste  of 
our  Moravian  villages  seem  approaching  their  de- 
cadence, and,  as  a  necessary  result,  the  externality 
of  devotion  changes  its  whole  character.  The  cause 
of  this  declension  of  music  among  us  may  be  traced 
to  that  national  pursuit  of  wealth,  which  debases  all 
that  is  pure  within,  and  leads  the  thoughts  to  all 
that  is  gross  and  glittering  without. 

The  earlier  history  of  the  Moravian  was  the  uni- 
versal history  of  the  human  heart  in  the  fervor  of 
its  youthful  ebullitions.  But  when  the  primitive 
hymns  of  their  first  love  had  been  culled  of  their 


146  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

extravagance,  when  the  religious  exercises  became 
less  numerous  and  more  befitting  the  commonplace 
obligations  of  the  individual,  the  tenor  of  Moravian 
life  corresponded  more  nearly  with  the  ideal  of  a 
perfect  Christianity.  Among  the  most  engaging 
pictures  to  which  the  musical  ritual  gave  rise,  we 
must  not  overlook  the  funeral  ceremony.  In  the 
village,  every  death  is  announced  by  a  dirge  on  the 
trombones,  mostly  from  the  belfry  of  the  church. 
The  dirge  thus  played  is  selected  with  reference  to 
the  sex  of  the  deceased,  each  having  its  appropriate 
death-melody.  No  soul  escapes  from  its  tenement 
of  clay  without  this  public  signal  to  all  the  deni- 
zens of  the  village,  and  as  those  stirring  notes 
ascend  upward  and  vibrate  around  you,  penetrating 
into  every  habitation  of  the  living,  the  thoughts 
turn  from  the  engagements  of  time,  and  dwell  for 
the  moment  among  the  images  of  another  world. 

Most  frequently  these  announcements  come  float- 
ing upon  the  morning  air,  as  Death  is  a  frequent 
visitor  during  night-time,  or,  should  the  event  be  in 
afternoon,  the  long-drawn  notes  of  the  trombone 
sound  mournfully  through  the  quiet  evening.  At 
such  a  moment,  man  feels  oppressed  with  the  cares 
of  the  day,  and  as  he  listens  to  this  expressive  and 
subduing  language  of  tone,  he  feels  the  more  deeply 
the  force  of  the  event  which  has  just  consigned 
another  fellow-mortal  to  eternity. 

The  ritual  commences  even  before  the  departure 
of  the  spirit,  and  as  it  begins  to  yield  up  its  last 


THE   MORAVIAN   CULTUS.  147 

earthly  attachments  and  recognitions,  a  small  circle 
may  often  be  seen  gathered  around  the  couch,  ad- 
ministering the  offices  of  love  in  imparting  the  last 
blessing.  This  is  usually  performed  when  all  ex- 
pectations of  a  prolonged  life  are  surrendered,  and 
the  candidate  for  the  coming  change  is  prepared  to 
depart.  Then  the  well-known  hymn  is  not  un- 
frequently  sung : — 

"  Lord,  let  thy  blest  angelic  bands 
Convey  my  soul  into  Thy  hands, 

AVhen  soul  and  body  sever; 
My  body,  though  reduced  to  dust, 
Thou  wilt,  0  Lord,  I  firmly  trust, 

Eaise  up  to  live  forever. 
Then  shall  I  see  Thee  face  to  face, 
In  everlasting  joy  and  peace, 
And  sing  with  all  the  saints  above 
The  wonders  of  redeeming  love. 
0  Christ,  my  Lord,  I'll  Thee  adore, 
Here  and  above  for  evermore." 

Frequently  the  last  blessing  precedes  death  by 
several  days,  and  long  before  the  final  flickerings  of 
life  are  observed.  In  those  instances  the  hymns  of 
comfort  and  solace  are  repeated  by  the  groups  as- 
sembled around  the  invalid,  if  prompted  to  do  so ; 
but  it  is  an  invariable  custom  to  sing  verses,  and 
frequently  to  administer  the  Sacrament,  previous  to 
his  dissolution.  The  remains  are  usually  placed  the 
next  day  within  the  "  Corpse-house,"  whither  the 
friends  of  the  deceased  repair  to  gaze  upon  the  face 


148 


MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 


before  its  final  disappearance  from  earth.  A  simple 
rose,  the  tribute  from  the  hands  of  affection,  is  some- 
times added  to  the  lifeless  figure,  now  attired  in  the 
white  habiliments  of  the  tomb.  This  ornament  to 
the  garb  of  death  is  expressive  of  peace  and  joy  to 
the  soul  of  the  departed.  In  this  silent  sanctuary 
the  little  lamp  is  placed,  and  it  is  the  office  of  some 
quiet  and  fearless  Sister  to  repair  there  during  the 
night  to  trim  the  beacon  that  custom  deems  needful 
for  the  lifeless  body,  while  still  within  the  pre- 
cincts of  the  living.  To  marry,  this  mission  of  the 
night  would  seem  a  fearful  one,  but  to  some  there  is 
a  companionship  in  the  cold  form,  the  well-known 
lineaments  addressing  you,  as  it  were,  "  Fear  not ! 
for  while  my  body  sleeps  the  sleep  of  death,  my 
spirit  reigns  over  and  guards  you." 

In  the  church  service,  preceding  the  burial  rites, 
the  discourse  not  unfrequently  bears  reference  to 
the  deceased,  and  ends  with  a  short  memoir,  either 
drawn  up  as  an  autobiography,  or  by  the  hands  of 
some  friend,  giving  the  outlines  of  a  past  career,  and 
expressive  of  its  inner  history.  Some  of  the  best 
vocal  dirges  are  then  sung  by  the  choir,  preparing 
the  mind  for  the  scene  that  is  to  follow.  After 
passing  from  the  church,  the  whole  assemblage  ar- 
range themselves  before  the  u  Corpse-house,"  where 
verses  are  again  sung,  chorales  played  on  trombones, 
and  then  the  procession  moves  forward  with  solemn 
pace  to  the  cemetery,  the  trombones  preceding  it, 
and  playing  the  thrilling  and  harmonious  music  of 


THE   MORAVIAN   CULTUS.  149 

the  funereal  ritual.  Around  the  grave  a  similar  scene 
is  enacted,  the  voices  of  the  multitude  mingling  with 
the  notes  of  the  instruments,  played  by  four  per- 
formers, who  adapt  the  chorale  to  the  subject  of  the 
occasion. 

In  Herrnhut,  the  burial  rite,  to  which  the  early 
part  of  the  evening  is  appropriated,  is  distinguished 
by  a  much  larger  number  of  instruments,  ten 
performers  often  preceding  the  long  train  that 
winds  its  way  from  the  church  through  the  avenue 
of  lindens  to  the  "  Hutberg."  Many  of  these  dirges 
are  perfect  compositions,  and  are  finely  invested  with 
the  solemnities  of  death,  so  that  they  have  become 
consecrated  to  this  sole  event,  and,  when  heard, 
bring  up  its  associations  in  all  times  and  places. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  most  of  the  other  melo- 
dies of  the  Moravian  repertoire.  They  become  iden- 
tified with  the  subject  to  which  they  are  applied,  and 
when  heard  by  those  who  have  learned  and  known 
them  from  childhood,  bring  up  scenes  of  fond  recog- 
nition. Thus  the  dirge  of  death  and  the  song  of 
triumph,  the  anthem  of  praise,  the  hymn  of  joy, 
are  alike,  in  turn,  appropriated  to  these  successive 
events  as  they  follow  in  the  cycle  of  the  Moravian 
year,  and  there  seems  to  be  a  spiritual  sustenance 
wanting  when  the  pleasures  of  a  musical  Cultus  are 
cut  off. 

It  is  among  the  striking  attributes  of  a  Moravian 
creed  to  surround  the  circumstances  of  death  with 
the  garlands  and  roses  of  a  cheerful  hope.     Hence 


150     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

the  cemetery,  in  many  of  our  larger  villages,  follow- 
ing the  design  of  the  "  Ilutberg,"  becomes  a  cheer- 
ful resort ;  and  while  the  bodies  of  the  departed 
sleep  beneath  the  turf,  adorned  with  smiling  flowers, 
expressive  of  heaven  and  typical  of  its  realized 
joys,  the  living  footsteps  are  seen  to  pace  the  walks 
around  the  grave,  with  thoughts  chastened  by  the 
sacred  spot. 

On  the  celebration  of  the  Birth-day,  which  is  an 
obligation  of  no  small  import,  the  members  of  a 
family  make  their  offerings  in  the  shape  of  a  table 
decked  with  flowers  and  small  contributions,  demon- 
strative of  family  loves ;  and,  in  many  instances, 
hymns  of  congratulation  are  sung,  to  greet  the  re- 
cipient of  the  Birth-day. 

In  the  ceremony  of  marriage,  the  older  customs 
prescribed  a  Betrothal,  a  ceremony  of  serious  and 
solemn  accompaniment,  in  which  the  officiating  cler- 
gyman delivered  a  feeling  and  impressive  charge  to 
the  bridal  pair,  seated  in  the  circle  of  numerous 
chosen  friends.  The  scene  was  then  cheered  by 
wine  and  cakes,  and  closed  by  lively  conversation. 
In  the  public  ceremony  of  marriage,  which  followed 
a  week  afterwards,  the  rites  were  gladdened  by  a 
general  Love-Feast,  dispensed  to  the  whole  assem- 
blage in  the  church  where  it  took  place. 

Of  all  the  religious  observances,  that  of  the  Love- 
Feast  is,  perhaps,  the  most  characteristic  of  the 
whole  Moravian  Cult  us ;  and  though  I  have  fre- 
quently adverted  to  this  custom,  some  further  re- 


THE  MORAVIAN  CULTUS.  151 

marks  seem  necessary  to  illustrate  the  purposes  of 
that  institution.  The  rite  itself  was  in  imitation  of 
the  "Agapoe"  of  the  early  Christians,  and  was  in- 
troduced at  Herrnhut  in  the  year  1727. * 

1  The  "Agapae"  have  had  their  origin  traced  to  the  apos- 
tolic times,  and  reference  is  made  to  them  by  Ignatius,  in  his 
Letters,  Clemens,  of  Alexandria,  Chrysostomus,  in  his  Homi- 
lies, Hieronymus,  (Ecumenius,  Theophylactus,  and  Theo- 
doretus. 

In  those  early  ages  the  "Agapae"  were  held  prior  to  the 
Sacrament,  with  the  view  of  showing  the  distinction  between 
the  two  rites,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  furnish  an  imitation  of 
our  Saviour's  last  supper  with  his  Disciples,  before  instituting 
the  Communion  itself. 

Reference  is  made  to  these  Love-Feasts  in  The  Acts  and 
in  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  as  well  as  in  the  reports 
furnished  by  Pliny  to  the  Emperor  Trajan,  who  there  speaks 
of  the  Love-Feasts  of  the  Christians. 

Tertullian  states  that  the  aim  of  these  Love-Feasts  was  the 
maintenance  of  brotherly  love  ;  that  they  were  not  intended 
to  encourage  much  eating  or  drinking,  but  were  dedicated 
to  sacred  singing  and  discourses. 

In  the  "  Concilio  Gangrensi,"  a  canon  appears,  which  lays 
an  anathema  on  all  those  who  despise  the  "Agapae  !" 

In  primitive  times  the  Love-Feast  was  accompanied  by  the 
"  Kiss  of  Peace,"  a  custom  of  an  apostolic  derivation  as  well 
as  the  ordinance  itself,  as  found  in  Paul's  Epistles,  and  many 
other  writers.  It  was  called  the  "  Osculum  Pacis,"  or  "  Sanc- 
tum Osculum,"  and  was  taken  from  the  words,  "  Salute  one 
another  with  a  holy  kiss."  The  Kiss  of  Peace  was  adopted 
in  the  Communion  and  in  some  of  the  Liturgies,  but  it  is  no 
longer  in  general  practice,  having  been  recently  discarded  in 
many  of  our  American  congregations.  (See  Lynar.) 

14 


152  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

At  that  time  Zinzendorf,  after  a  church  service, 
was  wont  to  send  around  to  small  conclaves  of  the 
Brethren  refreshments  from  his  own  kitchen,  to 
enable  them  to  pursue  their  meditations  under  an 
enlivenment  of  the  heart.1 

The  Love-Feast  is  applied  to  the  gloomy  and  the 
cheerful ;  it  invests  the  most  solemn  occasions  with 
the  light  of  hope,  and  sanctifies  the  most  joyous 
moments  with  the  solemnities  of  religion.  Hence  it 
was  the  scope  of  the  Zinzendorfian  worship  to  make 
the  Christian  life  a  constant  reaction  of  parts,  one 
tempering  and  influencing  the  other.  The  Love- 
Feast  was  thus  appropriated  to  the  Christmas  cele- 
bration, the  Easter  solemnities,  the  cheerful  festi- 
val, and,  on  august  occasions,  even  to  close  the  funeral 
service.  To  see  this  rite  represented  in  its  true 
spirit,  and  thus  receive  a  proper  appreciation  of  its 
intents  and  influences,  the  observer  of  Moravian  life 
must  be  led  through  its  whole  diary.  He  must 
study  and  analyze  it  in  its  contrasting  parts,  but, 
above  all,  he  must  be  sufficiently  cultivated  in  the 
higher  gifts  of  music  to  explain  to  himself  the  true 
and  abstract  motives  of  what,  to  the  prejudiced  mind, 
appear  childlike  and  frivolous.  The  world's  history 
has  shown  that  the  outward  demonstrations  of  re- 
ligion are  displayed  in  a  thousand  forms,  and  I  have 
observed  that  the  design  of  the  Moravian  was  to 


1  Eine  Erquickung  des  Herzens,   "  a  refreshment  of  the 
heart." 


THE   MORAVIAN   CULTUS.  153 

surround  nearly  all  these  forms  with  pleasure  such 
as  the  soul  delights  in. 

During  the  Love-Feast  collation,  which  is  pre- 
ceded by  hymns  sung  by  the  whole  congregation, 
anthems  are  performed  by  the  orchestra  and  chorus. 
The  Love-Feast  was  often  held  in  honor  of  the  re- 
ception of  some  distinguished  visitor  from  abroad, 
as  already  alluded  to  in  the  life  of  Spangenberg.  At 
the  schools  in  the  olden  times  it  was  held  on  Ex- 
amination-days, in  the  Hall,  when  the  pupils  were 
arranged  on  a  long,  continuous  bench,  and  partook 
of  their  coffee  and  cakes  in  common  with  the  audience. 
With  the  obliteration  of  old  practices,  this  has  been 
thrown  aside  as  superfluous,  although  the  primitive 
rite  would  even  now  contribute  its  share  in  fastening 
the  affections  of  many  a  susceptible  pupil  to  this 
adopted  home  of  his  youth. 

In  these  outlines  of  the  customs  of  a  people  who 
have  flourished  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  years,  we 
find  an  application  of  the  essential  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity to  the  whole  business  of  life.  In  those  purer 
times,  that  have  now  become  a  matter  of  record  and 
study,  no  material  interests  could  absorb  the  feel- 
ings of  the  Moravian,  and  in  the  flow  of  geniality 
and  mirth  on  social  occasions,  the  whole  tone  of 
thought  was  tempered  and  refined  by  an  education 
such  as  I  shall  describe  in  the  picture  of  schools  and 
their  system  of  inculcation. 

In  the  species  of  Christianity  here  developed,  we 
have  seen  poetry  called  in  aid  to  seize  upon  the 


154 


MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 


affections,  and  by  allowing  the  whole  tenor  of  life  to 
be  dramatized,  as  it  were,  by  all  the  exhibitions  of 
a  visible  symbolism  and  the  constant  purification  of 
soul  which  the  language  of  sacred  music  must  neces- 
sarily produce,  it  attained  a  degree  of  social  purity 
such  as  history  seldom  presents. 


VII. 

CHRISTMAS   CELEBEATIONS. 

Christmas  celebrations  have  ever  been  pre- 
eminently marked  by  a  festive  character,  and  as  this 
anniversary  forms  the  opening  of  the  great  Chris- 
tian drama,  by  bringing  before  the  mind's  eye  the 
Saviour's  nativity,  it  may  be  deemed  the  most  ap- 
propriate introduction  to  the  Moravian  Festivals. 

Throughout  the  Christian  world  the  childlike 
pleasures  of  this  sacred  season  endear  it  to  the 
memory,  and  as  the  events  of  the  Nativity  lie  open 
,  to  the  understanding  and  affections  of  the  young, 
by  the  representation  of  a  Divine  incarnation  in  the 
infantile  form,  many  of  the  religious  performances 
have  special  reference  to  the  wants  and  imagination 
of  youth.  Throughout  our  Moravian  villages,  the 
eve  of  Christmas  is  ushered  in  by  a  church 
scene,  where  appropriate  decorations  are  frequently 
added,  to  enhance  and  enliven  its  interest.  During 
the  night  when  this  fondly-anticipated  ceremony 
comes  off,  a  large  portion  of  the  surrounding  rural 
population  flock  thither  to  witness  it;  to  gaze  at  the 
paraphernalia,  listen  to  the  music,  and  partake  of 
the  Love-Feast.  This  has  been  a  time-honored  cus- 
14*  (155) 


156  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

torn,  and  has  always  presented  a  singular  contrast 
between  the  staid  devotion  of  the  Moravian  himself 
and  the  boisterous  merriment  of  the  yeomanry,  who 
are  generally  allowed  free  access  to  all  the  Christ- 
mas and  New-Year's  solemnities.  Within  the  cha- 
pel, however,  the  utmost  order  and  quiet  are  ob- 
served, and  no  molestation  is  offered  to  mar  the 
designs  of  the  Festival.  It  is  not  unusual  to  open 
it  with  the  reading  of  the  second  chapter  of  St. 
Luke,  one  of  the  most  poetical  records  of  Holy 
"Writ,  where  the  memorable  passage  is  introduced: — ■ 

"And  there  were  in  the  same  country  shepherds 
abiding  in  the  field,  keeping  watch  over  their  flocks 
by  night.  And  lo!  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came 
upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round 
about  them :  and  they  were  sore  afraid.  And  the 
angel  said  unto  them,  Fear  not :  for,  behold,  I  bring 
you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all 
people.  For  unto  you  is  born  this  day  in  the  City 
of  David  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord." 

After  this  simple  recital,  a  short  discourse  fol- 
lows, and  the  musical  rites  open  with  an  anthem,  per- 
formed by  full  chorus  and  orchestra  alternately,  with 
the  chorales  of  the  whole  congregration.  The  Love- 
Feast  now  approaches,  consisting  of  cakes  and  coffee, 
and  is  distributed  among  all  present,  the  congrega- 
tion and  guests  forming,  in  some  instances,  a  multi- 
tude of  between  one  and  two  thousand. 

During  this  collation  a  portion  of  Beethoven's 
Mass  is  performed,  and  the  German  words  sung. 


CHRISTMAS   CELEBRATIONS.  157 

Sei  willkommen, 

Schoner  Stern  in  heiPger  Nacht ! 
Ganz  von  Andacht  hingenommen 
Schau'  icli  deine  stille  Praclit ! 
Hosiana !  Gelobet  sey  Der  da  kommt 
Im  Namen  des  Herrn,  etc. 

"Be  thou  welcome, 
Beautiful  star,  in  the  holy  night ! 
All  transported  by  devotion 
I  behold  thy  quiet  lustre  ! 
Hosanna !     Praised  be 
He  who  cometh,"  etc. 

The  singing  on  this,  as  on  all  liturgic  occasions,  is 
alternate  between  the  male  and  the  female,  the  youth 
and  the  adult  portions  of  the  worshipers,  who,  from 
time  to  time,  are  relieved  by  the  choir. 

In  connection  with  the  old  Christmas-eve  rituals 
there  still  remains  an  ancient  vestige  of  the  dra- 
matic, savoring  somewhat  of  the  practices  of  the 
Church  of  Rome,  yet  so  endearing  by  its  simplicity 
and  its  strong  affinity  to  those  childlike  interpreta- 
tions of  Christianity,  on  which  the  heart  delights  to 
dwell,  that  the  colder  age  of  new  things  has  not  yet 
been  able  to  obliterate  it.  I  allude  to  the  introduc- 
tion of  wax-tapers.  When  the  choir  sings,  "Mache 
dich  auf,  es  werde  Licht !  denn  dein  Licht  kommt, 
und  die  Herrlichkeit  des  Herrn  gehet  auf  Uber  dir  I"1 
large  trays  of  lighted  tapers  are  brought  in  from  the 

1  Arise !  it  becomes  light :  for  thy  light  cometh  and  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  ariseth  ! 


158  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

eastern  side  of  the  chapel,  carried  through  the  as- 
sembly and  distributed  among  the  children.  To  the 
aged,  this  sudden  light  appears  in  its  true  typical 
import,  and  the  poetical  scene  is  not  undervalued 
by  those  who  can  read  the  mysteries  of  religion. 
But  among  the  juvenile  portion  every  face  becomes 
radiant  with  joy  at  the  appearance  of  this  expected 
effulgent  emblem,  owing  more  to  the  general  excite- 
ment of  the  moment  than  to  the  inspiration  which 
the  symbol  should  produce.  The  rural  guests  espe- 
cially are  absorbed  in  the  spectacle  before  them, 
and  seem  to  observe  with  intense  delight  the  bril- 
liant display  of  hundreds  of  wax-lights,  held  before 
the  smiling  faces  of  the  children.  The  tapers  are 
extinguished  in  gradual  succession,  the  mugs  are 
gathered  and  carried  away,  the  music  wanes,  and 
the  last  tones  of  the  organ  fall  upon  the  ears  of  the 
retiring  multitude  as  they  emerge  into  the  frigid 
atmosphere  of  a  December  night. 

This  is  the  outline  of  the  church  ceremonial  and  of 
the  scenes  at  the  altar,  at  the  opening  of  the  Christ- 
mas week,  and  the  description  applies  to  our  smaller 
villages  even  at  this  time ;  but  as  a  more  mixed  popu- 
lation creeps  into  them,  the  simpler  rites  will  gra- 
dually be  exchanged  for  others,  more  in  accordance 
with  the  wants  of  a  new  order  of  society. 

Throughout  the  homes  of  the  village,  other  scenes 
of  like  tendency  are  enacted.  During  the  whole  of 
the  preceding  week,  the  young  men  may  be  seen 
upon  the  bleak  hills,  where  the  moss  is  yet  verdant 


CHRISTMAS   CELEBRATIONS.  159 

and  the  hemlock  and  laurel  are  always  cheerful, 
and  grow  luxuriantly  in  places  where  naught  else 
will  thrive,  gathering  huge  piles  and  heaping  on 
wagons  those  well-known  Christmas-greens.  The 
hemlock,  sending  forth  its  grateful  aroma,  is  at  any 
time  a  pleasant  ornament,  but  when  it  comes  in  mid- 
winter to  cheer  us  amid  the  general  dearth  of  vegeta- 
ble nature,  we  find  it  a  most  welcome  emblem  of 
festive  happiness.  The  Moravian  houses  of  the  olden 
time  were  always  redolent  with  this  lively  evergreen 
at  the  Christmas  season,  and  its  delightful  perfumes 
bear  along  with  them  the  associations  of  old  me- 
mories. The  evergreen  and  the  hemlock-garland, 
interwoven  with  the  glossy  leaves  of  the  laurel,  or 
the  bouquet  of  chaste  flowers,  are  a  constant  feature 
of  the  Moravian  anniversary  of  almost  every  descrip- 
tion; and  whether  it  be  a  Birth-day,  a  Christmas- 
tide  rejoicing,  a  musical,  a  centennial,  or  a  "  Choir" 
festival,  this  green-leaved  type  of  happiness  greets 
the  eye,  and  tells  of  the  return  of  the  wished-for 
day,  which  at  its  appointed  time  the  heart  sighs 
after.  Long  evenings  are  spent  in  weaving  the 
wreaths,  preparing  inscriptions  and  transparencies, 
in  harmony  with  the  glad  occasion.  Each  habita- 
tion, in  which  childhood  constitutes  a  portion  of  the 
fire-side  group,  contributes  its  share  to  these  dis- 
plays of  sacred  art,  and  a  succession  of  visitors  is 
seen  passing  from  door  to  door,  to  examine  and 
discuss  the  merits  of  the  "Decoration." 

As  you  leave  the  chilly  atmosphere  of  the  ice-clad 


160  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

street,  and  enter  the  comfortable  domicile,  where  the 
green  and  aromatic  drapery  assails  you,  the  design 
of  the  picture,  being  conceived  in  the  utmost  sim- 
plicity, breathing  purity  and  sanctity  of  purpose,  and 
elevating  the  imagination  of  the  beholder  to  a  world 
of  sacred  light,  its  true  effects  never  fail  being 
realized.  Inscriptions  referring  to  the  Nativity  are 
usually  placed  in  the  back-ground  of  the  picture, 
which  is  illuminated  in  the  evening,  and  to  which 
are  added  figures  and  pictures  illustrative  of  the 
Christian  subject.  A  large  portion  of  the  room  is 
sometimes  occupied  with  the  Christmas  exhibition, 
and  incongruous  elements  are  occasionally  brought 
into  play,  to  please  the  young  folks  and  the  public, 
and  to  allow  full  scope  to  the  ingenuity  of  the  de- 
signer, who  in  most  cases  is  the  Pater  Familias. 

But  when  the  "Decoration"  is  made  to  present  a 
chaste  adornment  of  wreaths,  surrounding  and  over- 
hanging the  manger,  with  transparencies  depicting 
the  eventful  night,  as  the  artist's  fancy  may  con- 
ceive it  to  have  been  in  Judea — the  Magi  bearing 
spices,  the  star  in  the  East — then  it  seems  truly  to 
fulfill  its  real  design,  and  to  come  up  to  the  ideal  of 
a  Christmas-eve  representation. 

During  the  whole  of  this  week,  the  wax-candles — 
yellow,  red  and  blue — and  the  coiled  taper  become 
important  articles  of  merchandise,  the  demand  for 
which  seems  unlimited.  In  former  times  these  little 
accompaniments  of  the  joyous  season  were  produc- 
tions  of  the  Sisters'   Houses,  and   many  an   aged 


CHBISTMAS   CELEBRATIONS.  1G1 

Sister  made  ample  preparations  to  supply  a  round 
of  customers. 

In  these  dramatic  conceptions  of  a  sacred  event, 
the  heart,  speaking  of  the  past,  seemed  to  grow 
apace,  and  the  truly  spiritual  designs  of  all  such 
visible  representations  have  never  been  lost  upon  the 
juvenile  portion  of  the  household.  These  festivities, 
it  is  true,  are  purely  idylic ;  they  belong  to  an  age 
where  wealth  and  its  train  of  influences  have  no 
overweening  tendencies,  where  the  mind  has  ample 
scope  for  its  own  quiet  cultivation,  and  can  rear 
itself  within  the  isolation  of  unmolested  thoughtful 
hours. 

The  whole  Moravian  Christmas-eve,  as  seen  in 
one  of  our  villages,  was  a  truly  beautiful  and  poetical 
picture.  To  strengthen  this  picture,  however,  we 
must  always  give  it  its  rural  associations,  where  the 
simplicity  of  an  unadorned  life,  the  freedom  from 
conventionality,  prevail,  and  where  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  nature's  better  privileges  the  soulless  forms 
of  society  are  excluded. 

Christmas,  and  its  train  of  pleasures,  form  but  a 
portion  of  the  festival  season.  The  whole  week  in- 
tervening between  it  and  New- Year  is  a  continua- 
tion of  the  scene  begun  at  the  eve,  as  witnessed  in 
the  church  and  in  the  homes  of  the  village,  and  the 
wings  of  youthful  enjoyment  continue  their  flight 
until  New-Year's  day  has  closed.  The  church  so- 
lemnities of  New-Year's  eve  are  not  less  in  import- 
ance than  those  of  Christmas-eve,  and  are  sustained 


162 


MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 


till  past  the  midnight  hour,  after  the  clock  is  heard 
to  chime  in  the  first  day  of  the  year. 

It  may  deserve  notice  in  this  place  that,  in  all 
the  Moravian  village  congregations,  diaries  are  kept 
of  the  most  important  events  transpiring  daily  or 
weekly  within  their  little  circles  throughout  the 
year.  In  former  times,  the  most  trivial  circum- 
stances were  recorded  by  the  "Pastor  Loci,"  in 
these  registers,  which  were  deposited  in  the  archives 
of  the  church.  During  the  exercises  of  New-Year's 
eve,  a  synopsis  of  the  past  year's  diary  is  read,  to 
which  is  added  a  list  of  the  members,  all  the  new 
accessions  and  departures,  births,  deaths,  and  mar- 
riages. The  first  of  these  meetings  takes  place  at 
nine  o'clock,  and  the  second,  or  close,  at  eleven, 
which  concludes  with  the  opening  of  the  New- Year. 
To  perform  this  ceremony,  the  trombones  are  called 
in  aid,  and  their  loud  peal  is  made  to  burst  upon  the 
audience,  just  at  the  moment  the  first  tone  of  the 
clock  in  the  belfry  is  heard  to  announce  the  hour  of 
twelve.  The  speaker  is  cut  short  in  the  middle  of 
his  sentence,  laying  down  in  some  eloquent  passage 
his  most  forcible  arguments,  and  all  is  made  to  give 
way  to  the  sudden  arrival  of  the  new-born  year. 


VIII. 

EASTER  CELEBRATION. 

"And  as  he  went,  a  very  great  multitude  spread  their 
garments  in  the  way,  and  others  cut  down  branches  oft'  the 
trees  and  strewed  them  in  the  way.  And  when  he  was  come 
nigh,  even  now  at  the  descent  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the 
whole  multitude  of  his  disciples  began  to  rejoice  and  praise 
God  with  a  loud  voice  for  all  the  mighty  works  they  had 
seen.  And  the  multitudes  that  went  before  and  that  fol- 
lowed, cried,  Hosannah  to  the  Son  of  David,  blessed  is  He, 
a  King,  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

With  the  above  recital  in  the  life  of  our  Saviour, 
and  the  Acts  of  Sunday,  as  they  are  styled,  com- 
mence the  exercises  of  Passion  Week.  The  beau- 
tiful anthem  of  Hosanna,  from  the  Choir,  accom- 
panies the  reading,  and  is  a  fine  introduction  to  the 
performances  of  this  poetico-dramatical  week. 

To  those  who  are  strangers  to  the  duties  of  the 
sanctuary,  the  readings  of  Passion  Week  offer  many 
fascinations,  as  they  attract  them  to  services  which 
from  first  to  last  are  filled  with  interest.  The 
evening  and  day  services  of  this  week  constitute 
some  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  year,  and  are 
attended  by  full  congregations,  who  are  absorbed 
in  the  affecting  narrative,  as  it  proceeds  onward 
15  (163) 


164  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

through  the  vicissitudes  of  a  Redeemer's  life  to  the 
final  sacrifice. 

Under  the  Moravian  forms,  these  readings  are  in- 
terspersed with  numerous  illustrations  and  embellish- 
ments of  solemn  melody,  imparting  additional  pathos 
to  the  various  scenes  as  they  pass  before  the  hearer, 
and  enlist  his  feelings  by  an  exhibition  of  the  me- 
lancholy beauty  of  the  divine  picture  presented  to 
his  view.  The  representation  of  the  sacred  drama, 
with  the  aid  of  poetry,  melody,  and  an  occasional 
appeal  to  the  senses,  in  various  minor  ceremonies  of 
church  worship,  has  been  one  of  its  most  cherished 
features. 

In  contrast  with  the  joyous  festivities  of  Christ- 
mas, its  evergreen  wreaths  and  picturesque  adorn- 
ments of  hearth  and  altar,  there  is  a  sublime  and 
plaintive  coloring  thrown  over  the  whole  Easter 
solemnity,  which  binds  it  fast  to  the  affections.  Here 
the  glorious  strains  of  the  Christmas  anthem  are  ex- 
changed for  the  dirge-like  hymn,  which,  when  sung, 
as  it  frequently  is.  without  organ  accompaniment,  by 
full-toned  voices,  and  in  judicious  accordance,  con- 
stitutes the  most  impressive  vocal  music.  Every 
evening  of  the  week,  until  Thursday,  there  foil 
continuation  of  the  sacred  history,  but  on  Maunday 
Thursday,  Good  Friday,  and  Saturday  afternoon, 
the  meetings  are  held  during  the  day.  On  Maunday 
Thursday  two  readings  precede  the  Sacrament.  On 
Friday  morning  and  afternoon  some  of  the  most 
solemn  scenes  of  Holy  Writ  are  parsed  in  review,  and 


EASTER    CELEBRATION.  165 

every  remarkable  passage  in  the  sufferings  of  Christ 
is  accompanied  by  a  suitable  hymn  sung  during  the 
intervals.  In  the  evening  the  readings  of  the  day 
are  closed  with  the  passage,  "When  the  even  was 
come,  there  came  a  rich  man  of  Arimathea,  a  city 
of  the  Jews,  named  Joseph,  an  honorable  counselor, 
and  he  was  a  good  man  and  a  just,  and  there  came 
also  Nicodemus,  which  at  the  first  came  to  Jesus  by 
night,  and  brought  a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes, 
about  an  hundred  pound  weight.  Then  they  took 
the  body  of  Jesus,  and  wound  it  in  linen  cloths  with 
the  spices,  as  the  manner  of  the  Jews  is  to  bury," 
etc.  The  whole  of  Good  Friday's  exercises  are  then 
closed  by  a  Liturgy.  This  Liturgy  is  perhaps  one  of 
the  finest  church  services  we  have,  and  the  parts 
being  alternated  between  the  pastor,  the  joint  con- 
gregation, male  and  female  portions,  and  the  choir,  it 
relieves  the  common  order  of  church  sino-ing  of  its 
monotony. 

Generally,  upon  the  quiet  Saturday  afternoon,  or 
Great  Sabbath,  there  is  a  moderate  assemblage  met 
together  in  Love-Feast.  Its  participants  are  sup- 
posed to  enjoy  the  meal  of  love  with  each  other  over 
the  grave  of  the  Saviour,  while  He  reposes  in  the 
tomb  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  previous  to  the  great 
event,  on  the  succeeding  morning.  In  Bethlehem, 
on  the  evening  of  tfee-Greafc— Sttbbath,  the  exquisite 
performances  by  the  choir,  "Jesus  bowed  his  head," 
etc.,  takes  place.  It  is  a  composition  requiring  all 
the  aid  of  musical  proficiency  to  receive   its  due 


166  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

effect,  and  is  never  attempted  in  the  smaller  vil- 
lages. 

Very  early  in  the  morning,  and  long  before  dawn, 
it  has  been  an  old  custom  to  go  around  the  village 
and  awaken  the  still  sleeping  inhabitants  by  an 
Easter  morning  chorale,  performed  on  the  trom- 
bones. This  is  one  of  those  incidents  of  Easter  which 
impart  to  its  celebration  its  old  and  essentially  Mo- 
ravian feature,  and,  I  trust,  that  the  genius  of  in- 
novation may  not  extinguish  this  exquisite  poetry  of 
the  past,  and  allow  the  good  people  of  the  village  to 
sleep  into  the  Easter  morning  without  this  melodious 
announcement.  Should  this,  like  many  other  insti- 
tutions, pass  away,  it  is  no  idle  hope,  that  some  new 
generation  coming  after  us  may  strive  to  reawaken 
the  lost  and  simple  spirit;  that  it  may  possibly 
throw  off  the  refinement  of  these  latter  days,  and  go 
back  to  the  naive  and  the  sincerely  beautiful.  This 
early  announcement  is,  certainly,  the  finest  conceiva- 
ble opening  of  that  eventful  anniversary,  and  I 
would  look  upon  its  obliteration  from  the  customs  of 
Moravian  life,  like  that  of  many  others,  as  much  to 
be  deplored. 

The  early  morning  service  is  still  retained,  after 
which  a  procession  to  the  graveyard  takes  place, 
always  in  time  to  meet  the  rising  sun.  Here  the 
trombones  perform  their  part  with  marked  effect, 
and  contribute  not  a  little  to  the  beauty  of  the  cere- 
monial. When  the  Easter  ceremonies  are  favored  by 
an  early  spring,  and  the  morning  air  is  serene,  the 


EASTER    CELEBRATION.  167 

procession  to  the  graveyard  is  replete  with  the  finest 
emotions.  We  are  now  not  merely  reading  the  event, 
but  are  acting  it  over,  under  the  inspiring  influence  of 
the  open  air,  at  break  of  day.  The  locality  of  the 
Nazareth  Cemetery  is  peculiarly  interesting,  and 
for  the  opening  of  Easter  morning,  there  can  be  no 
place  more  worthy  of  selection.  At  this  early  hour 
the  scene  around  breathes  the  deepest  tranquillity. 
Picturesque  in  all  its  parts,  a  perfect,  and  even  fault- 
less landscape  sleeps  before  you  at  six  o'clock  of  our 
Easter  morning,  with  the  eastern  light  swelling  into 
the  bright  glow  of  sunrise.  Then  the  impressive 
words  of  the  Litany,  and  the  outpouring  of  those 
harmonious  themes,  to  which  the  trombones  are  so 
well  adapted,  summon  up  thoughts  that  are  precious 
and  enduring  for  the  soul.1 

1  In  connection  with  our  Easter  celebration,  and  all  the 
observances  of  Passion  Week,  it  may  not  be  deemed  in- 
appropriate to  refer  to  those  early  customs  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  called  Easter  Plays,  and  recorded  amoDg 
its  institutions  of  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries.  The 
crucifixion,  interment,  resurrection,  and  ascension  of  Christ, 
formed  the  subject  of  these  sacred  dramas,  whose  origin  may 
be  traced  as  far  back  as  the  twelfth  century. 

These  "Easter  or  Passion  Plays"  were  purely  devotional 
in  their  aim,  and  seem,  originally,  to  have  consisted  in  mere 
recitation  on  Palm  Sunday  and  Good  Friday,  by  various  per- 
sons, representing  Christ,  the  Apostles,  Herod,  Pilate,  etc., 
alternating  with  choral  melody.  Sometimes  the  parts  were 
divided  between  the  clergy,  who,  by  turns,  rehearsed  the  his- 
tory or  chaunted  the  words  of  Christ  or  those  of  the  other 
15* 


168  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. . 

characters  in  the  sacred  history,  allowing  the  hearers  to  par- 
ticipate in  a  portion  of  the  dialogue  or  narrative. 

The  resurrection  was  not  unfrequently  treated  in  the  same 
manner.  Three  priests,  representing  the  three  women  at  the 
tomb,  were  seen  at  the  holy  sepulchre,  erected  for  the  pur- 
pose in  the  church,  and  addressed  the  angel  sitting  there,  and 
after  being  apprised  by  him  that  Christ  had  arisen,  they 
returned  to  the  altar,  and  announced  the  tidings  in  an  appro- 
priate song,  composed  in  honor  of  the  event. 

From  these  simple  sacred  rites  the  spiritual  drama  seems 
to  have  derived  its  origin,  many  of  the  accessories  of  a  thea- 
trical exhibition  being  subsequently  introduced,  to  give  effect 
and  interest  to  the  proceeding. 

The  locality  for  these  performances,  and  in  particular  that 
of  Good  Friday,  was  the  church,  and  they  were  mostly  trans- 
acted at  night;  they  were  called  "Ludus  de  Xocte  Paschae." 

The  worshipers  were  not  satisfied  with  the  representation 
of  the  Passion  Week  only,  but  went  through  the  whole  his- 
tory of  our  Saviour,  his  birth,  the  appearance  of  the  Magi, 
the  life  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  illustration  of  the  parables, 
and  that  of  the  wise  and  foolish  virgins. 

The  language  employed  in  these  rehearsals  was  Latin,  but 
after  the  laity  were  allowed  to  take  part  in  them,  the  German 
was  substituted,  with  occasional  Latin  passages  introducing 
old  hymns. 

The  object  of  these  ancient  dramatic  performances  was 
religious  instruction  and  edification ;  they  had  in  view  the 
visible  exhibition  before  the  minds  of  the  people  of  the  great 
truths  of  their  faith.  The  spectacle,  in  all  its  inner  mean- 
ings, was  deeply  religious,  and  closely  combined  with  the 
general  church  doctrine. 

As  many  improprieties  crept  into  these  ceremonies,  a 
decree  was  issued  against  them  by  Pope  Gregory,  and, 
instead  of  their  being  held  within  the  church,  they  were  re- 
moved into  the  open  air,  and  the  market-place  was  often 
the   scene  of  the  scriptural  drama,  after  witnessing  which 


EASTER    CELEBRATION.  169 

the  spectators  withdrew  into  the  church.  At  a  later  period 
their  relations  with  church  worship  entirely  ceased,  and  they 
became  more  secular  in  form  and  spirit. 

These  performances  were  largely  attended,  and  became 
very  popular  in  the  several  Christian  countries  of  Europe, 
for,  having  originated  in  Germany,  they  were  introduced 
into  France,  England,  and  Italy.  As  long  as  they  preserved 
a  connection  with  devotional  service,  they  were  found  to 
answer  a  good  purpose,  by  giving  visibility  to  sacred  history 
among  a  people  who  were  deprived  of  education  and  all  the 
modern  facilities  of  reading  Scripture;  but  as  an  application 
to  secular  pleasure  followed  the  strictly  dramatic  church  ser- 
vice, the  performance  itself  passing  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
clergy,  they  no  longer  retained  their  religious  character  or 
exercised  the  influence  that  was  shown  in  their  original  de- 
sign.    (Xeumaier's  Christliche  Kunst.) 


IX. 


EDUCATION   AND    SCHOOLS. 


In  the  early  history  of  Herrnhut,  the  Brethren 
directed  some  of  their  first  efforts  to  the  subject  of 
education.  The  grand  mission  of  the  Moravians  was 
the  great  evangelical  enterprise,  and  for  the  promo- 
tion of  that  end,  education  became  an  incidental  mea- 
sure. Originally,  the  clergy,  missionaries,  and  those 
employed  in  the  sacred  and  educational  offices  were 
not  distinct  from  the  rest  of  the  community,  but  the 
tendency  of  education  and  social  life  was  such  as  to 
render  all  capable  of  filling  any  of  these  offices. 

A  large  institution  for  the  special  instruction  and 
training  of  Brethren  was  established  in  the  Wet- 
terau,  in  1739,  under  the  superintendence  of  John 
Nitschmann,  having  a  direct  reference  to  the  great 
work  of  the  missions,  but  in  this  school  they  were  not 
merely  taught  literary  and  religious  knowledge,  but 
were  exercised  in  various  departments  of  useful  labor. 
The  same  principle  was  an  inherent  feature  of  Herrn- 
hut life  and  training,  and  had  in  view  the  general 
exercise  of  bodily  and  mental  powers,  and  the  prepa- 
ration of  all  alike  for  the  future  service  of  the  church. 
(170) 


EDUCATION  AND    SCHOOLS.  171 

In  this  regard  those  primitive  times  knew  of  no  dis- 
tinction between  laitj  and  clergy. 

At  a  later  date  regular  institutions  of  learning 
sprung  up,  aiming  at  a  more  complete  course  of 
study,  separating  the  theological  pupils  from  those 
designed  for  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  life,  and  re- 
ceiving a  support  from  the  public  at  large.  This 
plan  exists  at  the  present  day.  Their  chief  field  is 
in  Germany;  but  in  addition  to  the  German  schools, 
they  extend  over  Switzerland,  Holland,  Ireland, 
England,  and  the  United  States  ;  and  in  the  course 
of  little  more  than  a  century  have,  from  the  small 
beginning  in  the  Wetterau,  increased  to  the  number 
of  fifty.  Both  male  and  female  pupils  are  admitted 
each  into  their  allotted  institutions,  which  are  re- 
sorted to  by  all  classes  of  society  both  in  Europe 
and  America.  These  schools  are  usually  of  mode- 
rate size,  their  number  of  inmates  in  Germany  ex- 
tending from  fifty  to  one  hundred.  Our  own  institu- 
tions at  Bethlehem  and  Salem  are  much  larger,  the 
number  of  girls  exceeding  one  hundred  and  fifty  in 
the  former,  and  frequently  two  hundred  and  fifty  in 
the  latter,  while  at  Litiz  they  seldom  exceed  one 
hundred.  The  boys'  school  at  Nazareth  has,  for 
some  years  past,  averaged  about  one  hundred. 

Like  Moravianism  itself,  these  schools  have  never 
been  characterized  by  that  overweening  popularity 
which  seizes  upon  the  admiration  and  meets  with 
the  approval  of  the  great  and  indiscriminate  public, 
and  grows  rapidly  into  favor,  in  order  rapidly  to  lose 


172  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

it  again.  They  have  made  their  appearance  in  dif- 
ferent localities,  where  the  Moravians  had  their  early 
settlements,  and  in  no  instance  have  they  lost  their 
hold  upon  public  esteem. 

In  our  European  schools,  the  rule  of  limiting 
pupils  to  a  moderate  number  works  with  marked 
success,  and,  among  ourselves,  it  has  been  found  to 
be  a  safer  and  more  judicious  course  to  train  a  small 
number  well,  than  a  large  and  promiscuous  mass  of 
youth  imperfectly  and  superficially.  But  whether 
heart  or  mind  engage  the  preceptor's  efforts,  a  sys- 
tem of  training  must  lay  the  basis  of  all  instruction, 
and  that  training  constitutes  education  in  its  in- 
trinsic meaning,  such  as  it  has  been  the  aim  of  the 
Moravian  to  impart.  A  systematic  endeavor  to 
train  operates  with  less  restraint  on  the  pupil,  and 
with  more  successful  results  on  the  part  of  the  pre- 
ceptor, in  Europe  than  here.  Man  there  being  born 
to  order,  to  a  tamer  submission  to  authority  and  a 
reverence  for  official  dignity,  in  a  degree  unknown 
among  our  own  people,  the  youth  are  more  pliable, 
and  education  is  more  plastic.  It  is  partly  owing 
to  this  national  characteristic  of  an  unrestrained 
freedom  of  action,  and  a  want  of  that  which  so 
strikingly  characterizes  the  German, — a  stern  regard 
for  order,  that  a  three  or  four  years'  term  becomes  an 
essential  condition  to  the  success  of  a  Moravian 
training. 

A  large  portion  of  our  American  youth  are 
justly  amenable  to  the  charge,  that  they  never  had 


EDUCATION  AND   SCHOOLS.  173 

serious  or  positive  inculcations  as  to  the  great  virtue 
of  order.  It  has  been  the  misfortune  of  many  to 
have  been  taught  that  a  reversal  of  this  great  Euro- 
pean virtue  would  constitute  a  point  of  merit,  and 
when  such  arrive  at  our  schools,  they  find  they  have 
to  start  from  the  lowest  step  of  the  ladder.  They 
find  that  brightness  of  intellect  is,  in  some  measure, 
a  secondary  affair,  and  that  education,  in  its  Mo- 
ravian signification,  expresses  something  more  than 
mere  intellectual  cultivation ;  that  its  arena  is  not 
the  literary  tilting  field,  but  that  they  must  now  be 
called  upon  to  pass  successful  muster  beneath  a 
moral  military  discipline.  The  best  lesson  the 
youth  of  the  republic  could  learn  under  this  head, 
would  be  that  which  might  be  drawn  from  the  training 
of  the  steed,  which,  let  him  be  of  the  most  perfect 
form,  agile  limbs,  and  purest  blood,  would  be  en- 
tirely valueless  unless  his  noble  instincts  were 
curbed,  moulded,  and  directed  to  some  practical 
turn  by  his  master,  man. 

But  even  American  youth,  with  their  peculiar 
bent  for  freedom,  have,  in  the  majority  of  instances, 
succumbed  to  the  discipline  of  our  schools,  provided 
they  have  been  placed  there  at  an  age  of  suscepti- 
bility and  obedience,  and  have  come  with  moral 
natures  capable  of  being  softened,  even  after  they 
had  been  partially  perverted  by  wrong  guidance,  or 
no  guidance  at  all.  The  first  year's  apprenticeship 
these  young  disciples  have  to  undergo  is  occupied  in 
expelling  the  vicious  qualities  of  a  previous  educa- 


174  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CU  A  RACIER. 

tion,  that  had  no  fixed  aim,  nor  tended  toward  any 
definite  result ;  an  education  that  had  given  unre- 
strained employment  to  the  brain,  but  without  re- 
ference to  gradual  development,  or  a  wise  limitation 
of  studies. 

To  furnish  the  reader  with  an  explanation  of  the 
merits  of  the  system  by  illustration,  I  shall  com- 
mence with  the  routine  of  one  of  our  boys'  schools. 

Each  of  these  schools  stands  under  the  direction 
of  a  Principal,  who,  in  some  instances,  resides  within 
the  building  itself  with  the  pupils.  The  Principal 
and  his  wife  are  to  be  regarded  in  the  light  of 
parents  of  the  large  family,  and  are  appealed  to 
under  all  circumstances  of  a  parental  nature,  or 
when  long  absence  from  home  seem  to  form  a  va- 
cant place  in  the  hearts  of  children,  which  kindred 
ties  alone  can  fill. 

The  division  of  the  Institution  into  Rooms  is  one 
of  its  most  striking  peculiarities.  In  each  of  these 
we  find  two  colleagues,  or  companion  teachers,  who 
live  constantly  with  the  pupils,  taking  watch  over 
their  charge  by  turn,  and  each  serving  his  day  in 
rotation.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  Room-teacher  to  rise 
with  his  fifteen  or  eighteen  boys,  the  largest  number 
a  Rooni  should  reach,  to  take  them  to  meals,  to  morn- 
ing prayer,  and  to  remain  with  them,  while  pursuing 
their  preparatory  studies,  until  the  eight  o'clock 
bell  announces  the  commencement  of  the  school  day. 
From  that  time  the  teacher  is  eniia^ed  in  different 
departments,  he  himself  teaching;   the  boys,  who 


EDUCATION  AND  SCHOOLS.         175 

constitute  his  Room,  are  distributed  throughout  the 
different  classes,  higher  or  lower,  according  to  their 
grade  of  merit  and  proficiency,  without  reference  to 
their  ages  or  the  Room  in  which  they  live.  At  the 
hour  of  eleven  the  teacher  of  the  Room  takes  them 
in  charge  till  twelve  o'clock,  when  the  dinner  bell 
summons  all  down  to  the  dining-room. 

In  order  to  render  this  performance  a  creditable 
one,  no  little  skill  and  some  military  tactics  are  re- 
quired at  the  hands  of  the  tutors..  Dining,  as  also  par- 
taking of  both  the  other  meals,  becomes  a  practice  put 
into  systematic  form,  and  is  a  part  of  the  great  whole 
of  the  general  pedagogic  plan  ;  and,  indeed,  if  we  con- 
sider how  large  a  share  of  attention  it  occupies  in 
the  affairs  of  life,  and  how  absorbing  is  the  interest 
in  all  that  relates  to  it,  we  may  not  wonder  that  it 
engrosses  some  attention,  as  a  part  of  education. 
The  going  to  and  returning  from  the  "  Salle  a 
manger,"  must  be  a  quiet  and  regular  proceeding; 
the  teacher  follows  in  the  rear  of  the  procession, 
and  a  Pythagorean  silence  is  enjoined  from  the  time 
of  departure  to  the  repast  until  it  is  accomplished. 

So  strict,  in  former  times,  was  this  Pythagorean 
doctrine,  from  which  strictness,  however,  there  has 
been  a  slight  departure,  that  while  at  table  the  pupils 
were  wont  to  indicate  their  wants  by  raising  the  hand, 
and  designating  the  size  of  the  bread,  or  proportion 
of  meat,  etc.,  by  the  number  of  fingers  held  up. 
This  rule  of  perfect  silence  has  had  the  best  in- 
fluence, and  when  strictly  regarded  at  the  dinner, 

16 


176  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

affords  one  of  the  most  admirable  exercises  in  the 
whole  daily  routine.  In  the  olden  time  the  meals 
were  always  opened  with  a  verse,  which  was  sung  by 
the  united  voices  of  the  pupils ;  but  of  later  times, 
singing,  unfortunately,  has  been  exchanged  for  simple 
reading  of  the  grace. 

A  custom  was  introduced  at  Nazareth  Hall,  and 
for  some  time  preserved,  of  reading  aloud  during 
dinner  by  one  of  the  pupils ;  but  the  general  din  of 
knives  and  forks,  plates,  and  feet,  caused  many  in- 
terruptions to  the  hearer,  and  rendered  the  history 
or  story  a  work  of  fragments,  only  enjoyed  at 
intervals.  But  reading,  it  has  been  found,  is  no 
proper  adjunct  of  the  repast,  as  the  mind  during 
that  time  requires  anything  but  serious  or  reflective 
thought,  and  the  digestive  powers  should  be  left  to 
their  undisturbed  sway.  The  piano,  however,  would 
form  a  pleasant  companion  of  the  dining-room,  and 
cheerful  music  would  lend  an  increased  charm  to  the 
gastronomic  enjoyments  of  the  pupils. 

After  the  mid-day  repast,  of  which  the  bill  of 
fare,  were  it  produced,  would  be  very  laconic,  the 
family  regulations  proceed ;  the  teacher  taking 
his  "Room"  under  his  care  until  two  o'clock  P.M., 
when  all  once  more  disperse  into  their  classes, 
which,  having  occupied  three  hours  in  the  morn- 
ing, require  but  two  in  the  afternoon.  At  four, 
the  time  for  recreation  arrives.  Then  the  teacher 
on  duty  again  marshals  his  troop,  and  the  woods  are 
sought  or  a  walk  is  had,  which  occupies  the  inter- 


EDUCATION   AND   SCHOOLS.  177 

val  of  daylight.  On  the  play-ground  there  are  many 
amusements  to  employ  both  teacher  and  pupil,  and 
these  are  participated  in  together.  The  return  to 
supper  now  follows,  and  this  being  dispatched,  the 
evening  is  closed  by  "Preparation,"  or  an  hour's 
study,  which,  among  the  older  pupils,  extends  to 
two  hours,  to  enable  them  to  duly  qualify  them- 
selves for  the  succeeding  day's  exercises. 

When  the  teacher  retires  with  his  pupils  for  the 
night,  the  solemnities  of  prayer  are  observed ;  he 
paces  the  dormitory  until  perfect  quiet  tells  that  all 
have  gone  to  sleep,  and  then  resigns  his  "  Room" 
for  the  next  day  to  his  colleague,  to  go  through  the 
same  process  of  watching,  drilling,  reproving,  en- 
tertaining, and  instructing  in  the  elements  of  wisdom, 
a  family  of  youth,  who  have  all  the  waywardness, 
the  caprice,  and  the  innocence  of  childhood. 

The  scheme  of  academic  life  being  on  the  plan  of 
the  family,  the  tutor  is  required  to  absorb  all  the 
affections  of  the  "Room"  over  which  he  presides. 
In  the  intervals  between  school  hours  it  becomes  his 
duty  to  amuse  his  pupils ;  and  in  order  to  render  his 
business  a  grateful  task,  and  to  lighten  the  burden 
resting  upon  him,  he  often  seeks  to  regale  the  hours 
by  stories,  amusements,  games,  and  reading.  These 
avocations  seem  to  render  his  own  calling,  in  some 
measure,  supportable,  and  to  reconcile  the  unruly 
spirits  placed  under  his  guardianship,  where  they 
are  deprived  of  the  luxuries  of  home,  to  the  re- 


178  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

straints  which  a  rigid  system  imposes  upon  them. 
But  a  long  continuance  of  service  such  as  this  is  apt 
to  wear  upon  the  preceptor  and  make  inroads  upon 
his  health  and  happiness,  and  it  is  requiring  too 
much  of  one  and  the  same  individual  to  exact  of 
him  more  than  five  or  six  years  of  this  species  of  tuto- 
rial life.  In  this  space  of  time  he  will  have  outlived 
several  generations  of  pupils,  among  whom  a  strik- 
ing diversity  of  temper  will  have  been  encountered ; 
while,  on  the  part  of  their  preceptor,  the  greatest 
trials  of  fidelity  of  purpose,  warring  with  the  weak- 
ness of  humanity,  are  concomitants  incidental  to  his 
calling.  Two  great  interests  are  here  always  at 
work,  and  while  the  sympathies  of  the  disinterested 
observer  side,  naturally,  with  the  pupils,  the  greatest 
self-sacrifice  is  going  on  in  the  mind  and  physical 
energies  of  him  who  controls  them. 

Under  the  Moravian  regime,  however,  the  teach- 
er's career  is  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  probation, 
and  all  his  sacrifices  of  health  and  personal  ease,  and 
a  long  durance  within  the  walls  of  a  secluded  board- 
ing-school, are  made  subservient  to  the  one  great 
end  of  removing  every  selfish  claim',  and  arriving  at 
a  more  perfect  fulfillment  of  Christian  denial.  The 
teacher's  life  itself  in  these  institutions  becomes 
a  training,  both  as  to  habit  and  thought,  and 
though  accompanied  with  some  disadvantages,  by 
weaning  him  from  society  and  debarring  him  from 
acquiring  the  tact  and  accomplishments  of  conven- 


EDUCATION  AND  SCHOOLS.         179 

tional  life,  yet  the  more  lasting  and  important  influ- 
ences are  left  behind  on  mind  and  heart. 

It  has  ever  been  deemed  essential  that  the  teacher 
be  educated  within  the  walls  of  the  Moravian  school, 
not  only  to  capacitate  him  for  its  peculiar  mode  of 
inculcation,  but,  at  the  same  time,  to  render  him 
proof  against  the  difficulties  and  trials  of  his  peda- 
gogic career.  It  appears  to  be  a  rather  neglected, 
but  most  commendable  usage,  for  the  teacher  to  ex- 
tend the  pleasures  of  the  family  to  his  circle  of 
pupils  by  that  most  admirable  of  all  the  relaxations 
of  a  vacation,  a  pedestrian  tour.  In  this  regard, 
the  customs  of  the  European  schools  deserve  our 
attention  and  imitation.  While  corresponding  in  their 
general  regulations  very  nearly  with  our  own,  the 
schools  of  Switzerland,  and  particularly  those  of 
Geneva,  which  stand  deservedly  among  the  best  in 
Europe,  are  noted  for  Alpine  tours  made  during  the 
summer  vacations,  and  extending  across  the  Alps  to 
Italy  as  far  as  Milan  and  Venice.  These  rovings 
among  the  mountains,  with  "Alpen-stock"  and  knap- 
sack, often  continue  for  several  weeks,  and  in  the 
school  of  Tb'pfer  they  have  resulted  in  one  of  the 
most  entertaining  and  admirable  works,  pleasantly 
and  naively  written,  by  Tb'pfer  himself.1 

1  Voyages  en  Zigzag,  ou  Excursions  d'un  Pensionnat,  en 
Yacances.  A  book  copiously  illustrated  with  Swiss  scenery, 
amusing  and  grotesque  school-boy  tableaux,  and  fine  de- 
lineations of  nature  and  academic  life.  It  has  gone  through 
numerous  editions,  and  has  received  a  deserved  popularity. 
16* 


180  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

The  custom  is  not  confined  to  the  Swiss  schools 
only,  for  we  find  some  of  the  "Pensions"  of  South- 
ern Germany  sending  out  their  lads,  under  a  similar 
equipment,  to  rove  through  the  mountains  and  sail  on 
the  lakes  of  Switzerland,  and  thus  enjoy  the  sunny- 
side  of  a  school-boy's  life.  The  scheme  is  more 
practicable  in  a  country  where  the  youth  are  col- 
lected from  different  parts,  and  where  a  return 
home,  during  a  four  or  five  weeks'  vacation,  is  pre- 
cluded ;  but  even  in  our  own  country,  circumstances 
would  often  render  the  excursion  feasible  and  de- 
sirable, and  drive  away  the  dullness  of  holidays 
spent  within  the  solitary  walls  of  the  school.  A 
ramble  amid  our  own  romantic  and  primeval  woods 
would  operate  with  good  effect  upon  the  practical 
and  artistic  susceptibilities  of  the  pupil,  and  we 
should  find  a  visible  improvement  among  our  own 
youth  of  either  sex  in  the  cultivation  of  a  love  of 
nature,  grow  out  of  such  expeditions  into  the  moun- 
tains, under  the  guidance  of  an  instructor,  whose 
fine  tastes  could  give  direction  to  the  imagination  of 
those  under  his  or  her  charge. 

It  is  not  too  late  in  the  day  nor  too  antiquated  in 
purpose,  even  in  these  more  prosaic  times,  to  revive 
those  earlier  customs,  and  we  may  as  well  look  to  a 
revival  of  old  forms  of  life  to  add  to  its  excitements 
as  to  seek  exploded  and  antiquated  costumes  to  deck 
the  outer  man. 

The  whole  gastronomic  policy  of  our  schools  has 
been,  and  is  yet,  in  some  mitigated  degree,  under  as 


EDUCATION  AND  SCHOOLS.         181 

wise  a  jurisdiction  as  the  intellectual  regimen  pre- 
scribed to  them.  A  diet  that  brings  health  to  the 
system  and  roseate  hues  to  the  cheeks  is,  above  every 
other,  the  true  food  of  the  body,  and  the  wisdom  of 
educational  government  lies  in  furnishing  that  exer- 
cise and  pure  air  which  are  the  chief  promoters  of 
hygiene.  As  to  the  nature  of  the  exercise  pre- 
scribed to  the  pupils,  it  consists  mostly  of  a  walk  in 
the  woods  or  into  the  surrounding  country,  and  while 
at  the  play-ground,  the  game  of  ball  is  a  frequent 
and  favorite  amusement. 

Gymnastics  have  been  introduced,  wherein  they 
are  at  liberty  to  test  the  strength  of  limb  and  prac- 
tice in  feats  of  agility.  These  may  have  a  good  end 
in  view,  so  far  as  relates  to  the  development  of 
muscular  powers ;  but  the  old  custom  of  roving  at 
large  was  always  a  pastime  that  filled  up  the  vacant 
hours  with  the  greatest  zest,  made  nature  a  delight- 
ful companion,  and  refreshed  the  jaded  mind  by 
giving  the  limbs  their  free  scope  in  the  unrestrained 
amusements  of  the  "  Round  Place." 

I  have  said  that  the  tutors  themselves  frequently 
share  in  the  amusements  of  the  green-wood,  and 
rivalries  at  various  games  oftentimes  spring  up  be- 
tween themselves  and  the  boys.  Winter  evenings 
call  for  mental  recreation,  previous  to  the  hour  of 
"Preparation,"  or  that  portion  of  the  night  which 
closes  with  study;  and  to  those  teachers  gifted  with 
the  somewhat  rare  faculty  which  can  invent  a  tale 
after  the  manner  of  the   Troubadours,  as   it   pro- 


182  MORAVIAN   LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

ceeds,  it  was,  and  is,  a  source  of  no  little  pleasure 
to  find  themselves  surrounded  with  an  audience  of 
wondrous  and  gaping  listeners,  waiting  in  anxious 
suspense  for  a  denouement  which  still  lies  hidden 
within  the  mazes  of  the  story-teller's  brain.  Le- 
gends, after  this  fashion,  are  usually  furnished  by 
installments,  and  the  evening's  entertainment  termi- 
nates with  a  "  to  be  continued,"  and,  as  long  as  the 
narrator  has  the  ingenuity  to  sustain  the  interest  of 
his  story,  he  can  command  that  most  desirable  state 
of  things  in  the  "Room,"  a  breathless  silence. 

In  presenting  these  recollections  of  the  past,  as 
well  as  existing  diversions  of  the  Moravian  Board- 
ing-Schools, I  am  indicating  the  different  points  of 
a  picture,  of  which  the  tout-ensemble  has  ever  been 
pleasant  and  instructive  to  look  upon.  In  the  grown- 
up man  or  woman,  whose  memory  recurs  to  the 
scenes  I  have  touched  upon,  and  who  figured  among 
them,  emotions  are  awakened  which  are  sacred  to 
themselves,  since  the  events  on  which  they  are  based 
form  an  impressive  point  in  their  earlier  lives. 

Many  of  the  youth  themselves,  participating  in 
all  the  forms  of  a  Moravian  Cultus,  witnessing  our 
musical  ceremonials,  our  poetical  rites,  enjoying  our 
cheerful  Love-Feasts,  and  sojourning  long  enough 
among  us  to  go  through  a  repetition  of  the  Christian 
year  of  Moravian  life  and  festivity,  become  imbued 
with  ideas  of  the  loveliness  of  Christianity  which 
the  world  could  neither  "  give  nor  take  away."  Un- 
der this  combination  of  influences,   the  results  of 


EDUCATION   AND   SCHOOLS.  183 

education  are,  in  a  large  degree,  purely  emotional, 
and  the  moral  character  is  more  firmly  moulded  by 
heart-culture  than  by  that  of  intellect. 

The  views  I  have  taken  of  scholastic  life  are  chiefly 
in  reference  to  Nazareth  Hall,  and  where  they  apply 
to  the  female  character,  to  Bethlehem,  Litiz,  and 
Salem  schools ;  but  the  spirit  exhibited  in  them  has 
been  the  invigorating  element  of  all  the  Moravian 
institutions  in  Europe. 

Having  previously  made  use  of  the  term  emotional 
education  as  being  one  of  the  results  of  the  Mora- 
vian system,  I  shall  now  add  a  few  remarks  on  the 
meaning  of  the  expression,  before  speaking  of  the 
intellectual  department. 

In  the  Moravian  forms  of  life,  the  warmth  of  soul 
and  geniality  of  social  intercourse  that  spring  from 
German  nationality,  are  strikingly  apparent.  At 
the  same  time,  we  can  trace  much  that  partake  of 
an  emotional  bias  in  the  customs  still  reigning  at 
Herrnhut.  Among  these  we  have  the  method  of 
singing  the  hymns  of  the  church,  which  all  the  chil- 
dren there  learn  so  perfectly,  that  not  even  a  book 
is  used  in  service,  and  frequently,  not  a  line  read 
aloud  by  the  pastor.  The  hymns  are  familiar  to  all, 
and  can  be  caught  up  by  every  one  as  soon  as  he 
hears  the  first  line  started. 

The  custom  of  reciting  the  hymns  was  made  a 
universal  practice  in  the  Moravian  schools,  and, 
although  now  no  longer  strictly  adhered  to  in  this 
country,  was  once  a  regular  weekly  exercise.     By 


184      MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

the  Moravian  youth  a  twofold  object  was  gained — 
that  of  learning  to  sing  the  tunes  of  the  church,  and 
of  becoming  versed  in  the  beautiful  productions  of 
our  hymnology.  All  the  pupils  imbibing  the  spirit 
of  these  sacred  verses,  and  acquiring  the  old  Ger- 
man chorales  at  the  same  time,  found  themselves 
entering  upon  a  province  of  instruction  which  I  have 
termed  emotional. 

In  America  we  still  adhere  to  the  practice  of 
having  weekly  singing-schools,  but  less  regard  is 
paid  to  the  cultivation  of  the  chorale  than  formerly, 
and  our  music  is,  in  some  degree,  tainted  with  the 
false  taste  of  modern  psalmody,  too  much  in  vogue 
in  this  country.  The  exercises  in  choral  singing  by 
whole  classes  is  a  feature  of  our  system  which  can- 
not be  too  highly  recommended ;  it  has  been  intro- 
duced in  many  American  schools,  and,  indeed,  is  an 
old  custom  among  them,  which,  from  time  to  time, 
has  suffered  neglect.  It  is  the  primary  step  to  an 
emotional  education,  which,  in  connection  with  the 
intellectual  department,  should  form  the  highest 
aim  of  the  instructor  of  youth.  By  imbibing  the 
first  principles  of  harmony,  such  as  the  old  Lutheran 
chorale  exhibits,  the  foundation  is  laid  for  a  good 
superstructure  of  musical  thought,  on  wThich  much 
of  the  refinement  of  human  life  is  built.  The  sub- 
ject of  educational  discipline  is  not  converted  into  a 
mere  thinking,  calculating  machine,  but  that  mys- 
terious portion  of  the  organism  termed  the  heart,  is 
awakened  into  sympathetic  action  with  the  brain. 


EDUCATION   AND    SCHOOLS.  185 

To  these  exercises  in  singing  I  must  add  the  very 
essential  portion  of  a  Moravian  cause  of  instruction, 
music  on  the  piano,  as  conducive  to  the  general  re- 
sults of  the  species  of  culture  referred  to.  Whether 
the  pupil  makes  much  actual  progress,  or  becomes  a 
proficient  in  the  art,  is  not  the  sole  inquiry ;  the 
aim  being  more  a  general  refinement  of  thought  and 
introduction  to  musical  feeling,  produced  by  an 
acquaintance  with  the  choicest  airs  and  sonatas  of 
Mozart,  Haydn,  and  Beethoven,  than  to  send  forth 
accomplished  musical  scholars. 

Lessons  are  given  by  those  progressive  steps  from 
simple  elements  to  higher  composition  that  charac- 
terize the  literary  studies  of  our  schools.  Instruc- 
tion in  instrumental  music  thus  forms  a  conspicuous 
feature,  and  in  the  female  academies  the  success  is 
more  visible,  in  so  far  as  relates  to  mere  accomplish- 
ment ;  but  in  considering  music  as  a  medium  of  re- 
finement, its  influences  are  as  fully  manifested  in  our 
male  as  in  our  female  schools.  This  "whole  process 
of  education  secures  the  affections  of  the  youth,  who 
become  attached  not  only  to  the  localities  of  his 
school-boy  years,  but  to  the  forms  of  worship  and 
the  solemnities  by  which  he  is  surrounded,  and  in 
this  species  of  education  fond  reminiscences  are 
sown  for  all  his  future  life. 

The  strongest  evidences  of  this  fact  are  to  be  seen 
in  the  frequent  revisits  to  the  Moravian  schools,  by 
pupils  who  have  grown  up  to  manhood  and  venerable 
age,  and  also  during  the  last  few  years,  in  the  Re- 


186      MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

unions  convened  at  Nazareth  Hall,  where  some  memor- 
able and  affecting  scenes  have  been  enacted  on  the 
part  of  the  rejuvenated  old  men.  Similar  instances 
take  place  in  the  visits  of  aged  ladies  to  the  schools 
of  Salem,  Bethlehem,  and  Litiz,  and  the  return  to 
those  old  homes  of  their  childhood  always  results  in 
a  declaration  and  outpouring  of  their  affections  for 
persons,  localities,  and  early  transactions  in  life, 
connected  with  that  poesy  of  the  heart,  which  never 
fades  away,  even  when  all  else  becomes  callous. 

In  connection  with  these  views,  I  may  add  that 
the  plan  of  the  family,  though  often  attempted  on  a 
small  scale,  is  not  generally  thought  to  be  successful 
in  its  application  to  educational  purposes  ;  and  if  we 
consider  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered  by  the  prin- 
cipal and  preceptor,  in  conciliating  the  conflicting 
wishes,  and  guiding  the  habits  of  a  mixed  commu- 
nity of  boys,  gathered  from  all  opposite  points,  and 
reared  in  contrasting  circumstances  of  life,  we  may 
infer  how  unelysian  the  joys  of  the  family  might  be. 
But  notwithstanding  many  warring  elements  are  oc- 
casionally found  to  render  the  social  life  of  our 
schools  imperfect,  the  moral  and  intellectual  regi- 
men prescribed  softens  down  many  asperities,  and 
renders  the  family  plan  a  successful  one. 

In  the  long  history  of  Moravian  boarding-schools, 
instances  of  a  happy  realization  of  an  ideal  life 
could  be  pointed  out,  which  the  memory  of  the  old 
man  recalls  with  delight,  and  to  which  the  venerable 
dame  of  the  living  times  reverts  with  yearning  emo- 
tion. 


EDUCATION  AND  SCHOOLS.         187 

All  these  results  are  the  characteristics  of  an  emo- 
tional education,  a  growth  in  man's  psychology,  sepa- 
rate and  distinct  from  that  of  the  mere  intellect,  and 
having  an  immediate  bearing  on  those  grand  aims  and 
designs  of  life  which  make  it  a  question  of  immor- 
tality. To  these  first  developments  of  an  inner  life, 
made  in  our  schools  without  any  regard  to  creed,  sect, 
or  dogma,  but  brought  forth  by  the  cultivation  of  the 
simple  Moravian  hymn,  with  its  unaffected  Christi- 
anity, the  pupil  is  often  known  to  pay  his  acknow- 
ledgments at  an  after-period,  when  long  intercourse 
with  the  world  has  proved  that  mere  intellectual 
knowledge  is  wisdom  under  a  soulless  personifica- 
tion. 

As  regards  the  intellectual  part  of  the  system,  it 
may  be  remarked  that  a  large  and  captious  pro- 
gramme has  never  been  aimed  at  in  our  mode  of  in- 
struction, the  whole  scheme  being  a  development  of 
mind  by  that  gradual  process  which  fits  one  stage  of 
its  growth  for  entering  upon  a  successive  one.  To 
teach  the  youth  how  to  learn,  rather  than  to  make 
him  learned,  was  ever  and  still  is  the  object  of  Mora- 
vian instruction. 

First  in  importance  is  the  rule  of  writing  all  les- 
sons committed  to  memory.  This  limits  the  amount 
of  learning,  but  conduces  to  thoroughness  and  cor- 
rectness, the  basis  of  the  whole  mental  superstruc- 
ture. History  is  given  in  the  form  of  a  lecture.  The 
reading  of  some  chosen  passages  of  the  world's  most 
17 


188  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

eventful  and  striking  periods  occupies  the  hour,  be- 
fore a  class  of  fifteen  or  twenty  pupils.  A  synopsis 
or  outline  of  the  portion  accomplished  during  that 
time  is  thus  furnished  by  the  tutor,  which,  being 
copied  by  all  the  class,  learned,  and  digested,  is  re- 
cited at  the  next  lecture.  Formerly,  nearly  all 
branches  of  study  were  inculcated  in  this  way,  but  as 
the  labor  of  revising  each  task  fell  upon  the  teacher, 
it  became  too  onerous,  and  the  text-books  of  other 
schools  of  the  country  have  been  allowed  in  certain 
studies  to  supersede  that  old  and  unrivaled  plan  by 
which  knowledge  is  left  but  slender  means  of  escape 
from  the  youthful  student.  It  is  not  only  the  in- 
terest awakened  during  the  hour  of  school  in  the  fate 
of  empires,  or  the  character  of  the  hero,  that  comes 
within  the  lecturer's  plan,  but  the  very  habit  of 
writing  down  the  outline  and  learning  thoroughly  all 
it  embraces,  renders  the  process  of  this  species  of 
instruction  unsurpassed.  It  is  not  the  aim  to  teach 
the  pupil  the  world's  whole  history,  and  furnish  the 
names  of  those  who  have  figured  therein,  and  the 
years  whence  they  all  date  their  origin,  in  order  to 
send  forth  good  historical  scholars;  but,  rather,  to 
select  the  auspicious  epoch  when  some  remarkable 
convulsion  of  human  thought  and  action  took  place, 
casting  on  the  surface  of  time  beings  of  remarkable 
endowments,  and  concentrate  the  young  mind's 
powers  upon  the  contemplation  of  such  scenes,  in 
order  to  bring  about  the  development  aimed  at  by 
every  true  system  of  education. 


EDUCATION  AND  SCHOOLS.        189 

The  tendency  of  the  mode  of  tuition  now  under 
review,  is  to  render  the  habits  of  thought  and  action 
correct.  This  principle  is  nowhere  better  illustrated 
than  in  the  careful  and  punctilious  revision  of  tasks, 
which  the  pupil  invariably  submits  to  the  tutor.  By 
suffering  no  error  to  go  unheeded,  the  mind  of  the 
scholar  passes  through  an  ordeal  of  discipline,  which 
in  after-life  fixes  the  character,  and  leaves  indelible 
traces  behind.  Indeed  that  cardinal  point  of  cor- 
rectness stamps  the  system  as  an  unequaled  one,  and 
forms  the  secret  of  all  early  training. 

In  explaining  geometry,  ample  opportunity  is 
given  for  the  exercise  of  the  pupil's  ingenuity  and 
logical  acumen,  by  the  manner  the  teacher  adopts  of 
first  exhibiting  his  demonstration  on  the  black-board, 
and  then  putting  the  capacities  of  the  class  to  the 
test,  by  allowing  every  member  of  it  to  try  the  solu- 
tion himself. 

It  has  long  since  been  laid  down  that  all  heads  are 
not  adapted  to  all  studies,  and  the  grand  result  of 
every  educational  effort  should  tend  to  train  the  mind 
for  the  task  of  grasping  the  ends  and  aims  of  its  own 
individuality.  The  scope  of  the  mode  of  instruction 
we  are  considering  seems  calculated  to  achieve  this 
purpose. 

In  order  to  mould  the  character  into  forms  of  cor- 
rectness, and  lead  it  in  the  walks  of  system  and 
regularity,  its  whole  scheme  has  been  most  pro- 
foundly studied,  and  all  its  details  nicely  weighed. 
To  accomplish  all  this,  however,  a  short  term  of 


190  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

pupilage  is  not  adequate.  The  uncontrolled  and 
neglected  subject  who  comes  here  to  be  instructed  in 
mind  and  guided  in  heart,  cannot  be  led  into  the 
straight  path  before  having  gone  across  the  rugged 
and  craggy  denies  of  correction  and  severe  disci- 
pline. To  bring  this  about,  sometimes  requires  a 
penance  of  years,  but  the  process  is  in  most  cases 
successful,  wearing  off  the  rough  surface  of  the  dia- 
mond, and  exhibiting  the  fair  glittering  qualities  that 
lie  within. 

I  have  previously  observed  that  the  Moravian 
school  makes  but  little  parade  of  knowledge,  and  does 
not  promise  to  lead  the  mind  of  the  child  through  the 
whole  domain  of  science.  This  is  not  promised, 
simply  because  it  cannot  be  done ;  and  it  would  be 
catering  to  an  age  of  false  pretensions,  an  age  in 
which  varnish,  veneering,  and  glitter  are  worshiped, 
to  hold  out  any  visionary  and  superficial  plans  of 
instruction.  The  results  of  these  literary  pursuits 
are  found  more  in  the  general  progress  of  mind 
than  in  the  attainment  of  any  showy  accomplish- 
ments. 

The  mental  faculty  trained  and  disciplined  in  the 
paths  of  science  by  the  same  laws  it  was  two  thou- 
sand years  ago,  eschewing  every  new  process  of  ad- 
vancement, and  avoiding  every  open  and  precipitous 
path  into  the  domains  of  knowledge,  reaches  its  ma- 
turity, and  acquires  its  symmetry,  as  gradually  and 
as  surely  as  the  oak  is  developed  from  the  acorn. 
All  accomplishments  of  a  mushroom  growth  are  the 


EDUCATION   AND   SCHOOLS.  191 

inventions  of  a  modern  and  progressive  epoch,  and 
retard,  rather  than  add  to,  the  evolution  of  the 
mind's  hidden  powers. 

After  these  general  remarks  upon  the  educational 
principles  in  vogue  among  the  Moravians,  and  which 
are  applicable  to  their  male  and  female  schools  in 
Europe  and  in  this  country,  I  will  conduct  my  readers 
to  one  of  these  institutions,  which  has  become  vene- 
rable by  time,  and  by  the  respect  it  has  inspired 
among  all  who  have  known  and  sustained  it. 

Plain  and  unenticing  in  its  exterior,  an  abode  of 
rural  peace,  surrounded  by  no  worldly  attractions, 
its  popularity  has  been  proportioned  to  its  useful- 
ness, and  though  of  modest  pretensions,  and  limited 
in  its  scale  of  operations,  it  will  be  found  that  therein 
lie  the  elements  of  its  worth  and  endurance. 

Let  us  now  approach  Nazareth  Hall.1 

1  Of  the  various  treatises  upon  education  that  have  ap- 
peared among  the  Moravians  of  the  last  century,  there  was 
one  by  Bishop  Layritz,  which  was  held  in  high  esteem  when 
the  intellectual  was  made  more  subservient  to  emotional  know- 
ledge than  in  these  days ;  and  as  his  precepts  upon  the  instill- 
ment  of  practical  lessons,  and  virtuous  and  religious  princi- 
ples, are  curiously  and  quaintly  given,  I  will  furnish  a  speci- 
men of  one  which  relates  to  the  education  of  the  girl  after 
she  has  left  school  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  home  life. 

"The  avocations  to  which  a  daughter  should  devote  all  her 
energies  during  these  years  include  the  whole  household 
economy  and  all  that  pertains  to  household  duties.  The 
chief  of  these  are  spinning,  knitting,  cooking,  washing,  and 
working  in  the  garden,  etc. 

17* 


192  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

"In  all  these  female  employments  it  is  more  urgent  that 
she  should  be  led  into  the  useful  than  the  ornamental.  Thus 
it  will  be  more  needful  for  her  to  learn  to  cut  out  shirts  and 
other  linen  clothing,  and  faithfully  sew  them,  than  to  addict 
herself  to  patch-work,  embroidery,  and  other  fine  needle-work. 
I  do  not  say  that  the  latter  should  be  entirely  neglected,  if 
there  be  an  opportunity  for  its  exercise,  but  my  aim  is  to  have 
her  first  become  skilled  in  what  is  really  useful  and  indispen- 
sable. The  same  rule  maybe  applied  to  all  other  female  em- 
ployments. Let  your  daughters  avoid  what  is  rare,  handsome, 
and  costly,  which  with  them  is  generally  the  first  object  of 
attraction,  and  direct  them  chiefly  to  the  serviceable,  and 
exercise  them  so  long  on  it  as  to  enable  them  to  produce  a 
good  piece  of  work.  In  spinning  linen,  cotton,  and  wool,  in- 
struct them  how  to  divide  the  cuts,  hanks,  and  skeins,  accord- 
ing to  usage,  and  also  as  to  how  much  is  required  for  a  yard 
of  linen ;  so  that  when  they  take  it  to  the  weaver  they  may 
know  how  much  they  have  to  claim  of  him. 

"Here  they  can  apply  their  knowledge  of  writing  and 
ciphering.  After  they  have  been  a  certain  time  with  their 
mother  in  the  kitchen,  and  learned  how  to  cook,  then  set 
them  to  cooking  alone,  and  let  their  mother  furnish  them  a 
wee.kly  bill,  so  that  they  may  learn  by  experience  how  much 
and  what  is  needed  for  every  meal,  and  when  their  resources 
fail,  let  ttiem  seek  advice  of  their  parent. 

"  In  cooking,  the  same  remark  applies  as  to  sewing,  viz. : 
that  the  daughters  should  not  be  engaged  in  the  skillful,  or 
the  choice  and  expensive,  but  adhere  to  the  substantial, 
simple,  and  digestible  dishes,  and  only  indulge  in  the  former 
for  the  sake  of  practice. 

"As  a  matter  of  course,  they  should  understand  everything 
belonging  to  the  kitchen,  including  the  killing  and  dressing 
of  poultry  and  fish.  To  this  acquirement  add  the  knowledge 
of  the  price  of  provisions,  and  how  to  proceed  when  they  pur- 
chase them.     The  daughter  can  also  keep  a  day-book,  and 


EDUCATION  AND   SCHOOLS.  193 

charge  her  outlays,  and  her  experience  will  teach  her  where 
her  profit  arises. 

"In  these  years  a  faithful  mother  will  instruct  her  in  wash- 
ing, and  show  her  how  to  perform  the  whole  operation  of  it, 
from  soaking  the  clothes  to  the  final  drying  and  mangling. 
The  worthy  mother  will  see  that  her  daughter  does  not  over- 
exert herself,  but  that  she  inures  herself  to  labor  by  gradual 
efforts,  and  thus  preserves  her  health  and  fits  herself  for 
future  industry.  The  example  of  the  parents  will  conduce 
greatly  to  show  how  she  should  conduct  herself  toward  ser- 
vants, and  that  she  should  neither  give  way  to  too  much 
familiarity,  nor  exercise  an  air  of  too  much  authority  among 
them. 

"It  will  add  much  to  her  habits  of  order  and  punctuality, 
if  the  daughter  is  directed  to  make  out  a  regular  list  of  the 
pieces,  so  that  when  they  are  returned  from  the  laundry,  she 
can  count  them  over,  and  lay  them  away  on  their  respective 
shelves. 

"And  every  year  let  the  mother  and  the  daughter  go  over 
the  house-inventory,  striking  out  of  it  whatever  has  disap- 
peared, and  adding  whatever  has  been  purchased.  When, 
finally,  all  these  things  are  accomplished  under  the  eyes  of 
the  Lord,  the  education  of  the  daughter  under  the  mother's 
care  will  receive  an  enduring  blessing  from  Him." 


NAZARETH  HALL. 

The  old  Boarding-school,  known  for  the  greater 
portion  of  a  century  as  Nazareth  Hall,  stands  in  a 
commanding  position,  at  the  western  side  of  the 
village,  and  in  its  southern  view  enjoys  a  landscape 
unsurpassed  for  beauty  and  fertility. 

It  was  erected  in  1755,  for  the  purpose  of  accom- 
modating Count  Zinzendorf  and  his  suite  of  fellow- 
pilgrims  who  accompanied  him  in  his  missionary 
labors,  and  as  these  resided  with  him  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  coadjutors,  this,  in  common  with  the  desig- 
nation of  all  other  similar  institutions,  was  intended 
as  a  "Disciple"  or  "Pilgrim  House." 

As  the  Count,  after  his  visit  in  1741,  never  re- 
turned to  America,  the  large  and  imposing  mansion 
was  not  used  for  its  original  design,  and  shortly  be- 
fore his  death,  in  1760,  it  was  applied  to  the  pur- 
poses to  which  it  has  ever  since  been  dedicated. 
This  early  Boarding-school  began  in  1759  and 
lasted  until  1779,  during  a  part  of  which  period 
it  was  large  and  nourishing;  but  from  causes  the 
enumeration  of  which  would  here  be  irrelevant,  the 
operations  of  the  Institution  ceased  for  six  years, 
(194) 


NAZARETH   HALL.  195 

when  it  was  resuscitated  under  new  auspices,  (1785,) 
and  has  since  remained,  with  the  exception  of  some 
adverse  stages,  a  successful  undertaking. 

The  old  Hall  is  a  massive  structure,  built  of  blue 
limestone,  (now  covered  over  by  a  rough  coating  of 
gravel,)  which  formed  the  material  of  all  the  build- 
ings of  those  early  times.  Its  double-pitched  roof, 
with  two  rows  of  dormer-windows,  strengthens  its 
claims  to  antiquity ;  and  the  balcony  which  crowns 
it  is  eagerly  sought  by  the  visitor,  in  order  to  study 
the  surrounding  prospect.  During  the  hour  pre- 
ceding sunset,  in  a  tranquil  evening,  the  scene  which 
nature  here  presents  to  her  devoted  student  is  beau- 
tiful in  the  extreme ;  and  whether  we  look  out  upon 
the  landscape  from  this  balcony,  or  through  the 
windows  on  the  south  side  of  the  building,  the 
senses  become  captivated  by  a  harmonious  picture. 

In  the  course  of  modern  progress  many  new  sug- 
gestions have  been  thrown  out  to  ornament  the 
structure,  in  order  to  accommodate  it  to  the  wants 
and  ideas  of  the  times  we  live  in ;  but  in  this  brush- 
ing up  of  old  walls,  tearing  off  old  panel-work,  re- 
moving old  balustrades,  and  effacing  the  marks  on 
the  stairs,  which  had  been  worn  upon  them  by  the 
feet  of  by-gone  generations  of  boys,  the  antiquarian 
interest  of  the  Hall  has  been,  in  some  measure, 
diminished,  and  the  change  has  called  forth  the  re- 
grets of  all  those  whose  affections  and  tastes  derive 
their  sustenance  from  the  past.     It  belongs  to  the 


196      MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

classic  and  refined  perception  to  seek  out  that 
which  is  primitive,  historical,  and  full  of  traditional 
story.  To  minds  of  this  class  elegant  architecture 
affords  but  little  attraction,  and  if  it  does,  it  only 
excites  the  intellect,  without  engaging  the  emotions. 
Let  but  some  fragment  of  wood  discover  itself,  which 
has  been  sanctified  by  age  or  the  incidents  of  the 
past,  and  then  the  inanimate  object  becomes  a  thing 
of  communication  and  thought. 

Before  the  Hall  underwent  its  late  renovation,  it 
had  been  the  repeated  victim  of  change,  the  various 
partition-walls  in  its  second  stories  having  often 
been  torn  down,  in  order  to  make  large  rooms 
small  and  small  rooms  large.  Some  years  ago  it 
was  forced  to  submit  to  the  fate  of  all  venerable 
piles  in  this  country,  which  must  either  be  torn  down 
or  clothed  in  an  entire  new  dress.  Fortunately,  its 
demolition  was  spared,  but,  much  to  the  mortification 
of  the  antiquarian,  it  was  metamorphosed  into  a  com- 
paratively modern  looking  structure.  Notwithstand- 
ing this  modernizing  operation,  it,  however,  still  re- 
tains many  of  its  lifeless  memorials.  In  the  small 
chapel,  on  the  first  floor,  stand  the  four  original 
octagonal  columns  that  formed  conspicuous  objects 
in  the  old  church,  and  which  are  associated  with  the 
recitations  of  the  pupils  on  Examination-days,  and  be- 
tween which  all  the  old  classic  music  of  Haydn  and 
Mozart  was  performed  by  the  youthful  amateur  mu- 
sicians. In  the  upper  portion  of  the  building,  the 
roof,  dormer-windows,  balcony,  and  belfry,  can  all 


NAZAKETH    HALL.  197 

be  identified,  although  much  of  the  rest  is  lost  to 
the  eye,  as  it  vainly  seeks  for  that  which  it  knew  so 
well  in  boyhood. 

Where  the  Corpse-house  stood,  there  is  now  a 
vacant  spot ;  but  that  solemn  and  mysterious  struc- 
ture which  received  the  remains  of  those  who  were 
borne  thither  previous  to  interment,  still  vividly  lives 
in  the  imagination,  as  it  stood  in  rather  close  prox- 
imity to  the  Hall. 

The  venerable  fountain  which  poured  forth  from 
the  blue  limestone  reservoir,  has  been  removed  and 
placed  under  a  more  fanciful  structure  of  painted 
lattice-work,  contiguous  to  the  Hall,  quite  near  to 
one  of  the  few  remaining  land-marks  of  the  olden 
time,  the  large  poplar  tree,  near  the  west  end  door- 
way. I  deem  this  another  instance  of  our  defective 
taste,  as  the  stone  fountain  in  all  the  ancient  Euro- 
pean towns  is  one  of  their  most  characteristic  fea- 
tures, and  while  the  eternal  waters  of  the  earth 
continue  to  flow  from  it,  the  huge  stone  basins  of 
granite  or  old  gray  marble  indicate  an  age  beyond 
the  memory  of  man. 

The  square  in  front  of  the  Hall,  though  deprived  of 
many  of  its  old  poplars,  still  presents  the  same  green 
area,  now  intersected  and  incompassed  by  walks, 
and  nearly  inclosed  by  buildings  which  have  sprung 
up  in  recent  times. 

For  the  play-grounds  of  the  boys,  venerable  and 
shady  woods  are  reserved  on  the  summit  of  the  hill, 
in  the  rear  of  the  town ;  but  these  woods  have  been 


198  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

sadly  curtailed  of  their  once  natural  and  forest-like 
character,  and  no  longer  furnish  the  extensive  range 
for  the  lads,  who  were  wont  to  roam  over  them 
during  the  afternoon  and  twilight  hours.  The 
"Round  Places"  are  still  there,  shaded  over  by  the 
hickory,  oak,  and  chestnut,  and  even  by  the  very 
trees  that  stood  there  in  days  of  yore ;  but  as  the 
eye  scans  the  limits  of  the  present  grounds,  it 
escapes  through  the  interstices  of  the  foliage  into 
open  fields  all  around,  and  the  fact  discloses  itself 
that  many  old  spots  are  entirely  gone. 

The  garden,  or  pleasure-ground,  possesses,  pro- 
bably, stronger  claims  to  identity  than  any  other  spot 
or  object  remaining,  as  the  old  trees  there  constitute 
its  great  beauty  and  attraction.  Its  paths  and  its 
unique  structures  remain  unaltered,  and  in  stroll- 
ing through  this  much-admired  and  cherished  re- 
sort, the  imagination  of  the  pupil,  who  once  held 
converse  with  them,  falls  irresistibly  among  the 
dreams  and  visions  of  the  past.  The  garden  was 
not  at  all  times  open  to  the  boys,  but  they  were 
admitted  at  special  hours,  their  allotted  recreation, 
as  we  have  seen,  having  been  at  the  "  Round 
Places;"  yet  it  was  always  free  for  visitors  and 
citizens,  and  its  shades  were  often  chosen  for  idle 
hours. 

Among  things  inanimate,  an  old  and  familiar 
friend  was  the  bell,  that  hung  for  an  age  within 
the  belfry,  which  still  surmounts  the  Hall.  This 
old  favorite,  in  the  days  of  our  youth,  was  well 


NAZAKETH    IIALL.  199 

known  for  its  habit  of  telling  the  quarters  before 
it  told  the  hours,  and,  lingering  in  the  garden, 
or  in  the  woods  above  the  graveyard,  those  gentle 
sounds  of  one,  two,  and  three  quarters  fell  upon 
the  ear  with  the  force  of  significant  and  expres- 
sive music.  In  these  monotonous  tones  of  the 
modest  quarter  bell,  the  denizen  of  the  Hall  as  well 
as  of  the  hamlet  enjoyed  much  comfort,  and  when- 
ever he  missed  the  sounds  for  a  time,  he  was  glad 
to  hear  them  again.  In  its  new  abode,  the  same 
old  clock  is  heard  to  proclaim  the  quarters,  but 
from  its  changed  position,  its  effect  on  the  visitor 
is  in  part  lost,  as  it  no  longer  retains  the  perfect 
identity  looked  for  in  the  recognition  of  old  and 
cherished  objects. 

During  recitation  hours,  Time,  under  this  imper- 
sonation, was  an  important  actor,  as  the  telling 
of  the  hours,  and  especially  of  the  last  four  quar- 
ters, drove  away  suspense  on  the  part  of  the  diffi- 
dent school-boy,  who  may  not  have  been  well  pre- 
pared, or  on  whom  the  irksomeness  of  hard  study 
was  an  onerous  burden.  By  all  such,  the  final 
fourth  quarter  was  listened  to  with  restless  sus- 
pense, and  when  the  eventful  "four  o'clock"  pealed 
forth,  a  general  shout  announced  the  close  of  the 
school  day. 

A  staunch  regulation  in  old  Moravian  life  was  the 
custom  of  dining  precisely  at  12  M.  With  this  view 
the  bell  was  punctually  rung  at  "three-quarters,"  as 
it  was  called,  or  a  quarter  of  an  hour  preceding  the 

18 


200  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

event.  This  made  the  hour  of  the  meal  perfectly 
uniform  throughout  the  Hall  and  village,  and  as  the 
three-quarter  bell  rung,  the  laborer  was  seen  bend- 
ing his  steps  homeward,  on  the  important  errand  of 
cheering  the  inner  man. 

There  was  another  "three-quarters"  just  before 
eight  in  the  morning,  which  gave  intelligence  to  all 
within  and  without  the  Hall,  that  the  hour  for  school 
was  near  at  hand,  and  forced  many  a  fearful  youth 
to  brace  his  nerves  for  the  coming  occasion,  when, 
with  a  partially  learned  lesson,  he  was  to  enter  the 
presence  of  a  dreaded  tutor.  To  that  noted  bell, 
therefore,  we  owe  many  grateful  and  heart-awaken- 
ing memories,  for  it  was  the  arbiter  of  important 
events  in  the  visits  of  Time  to  the  soul  of  youth, 
and  the  aged  still  feel  a  pleasure  in  listening  to  the 
tones  it  sends  forth,  although  summoning  the  lads  of 
another  generation  to  its  momentous  calls. 

I  have  already,  under  a  different  head,  alluded  to 
the  nature  of  the  recreations  indulged  in  by  the 
pupils,  and  shall  endeavor  to  present  them  here  more 
in  detail,  although  they  are  characteristic  of  most 
of  our  schools,  and  are  only  modified  by  the  require- 
ments of  sex;  yet  in  the  sketch  of  Nazareth  Hall, 
all  its  peculiar  pastimes  form  a  portion  of  its  chroni- 
cles. And  these  chronicles  are  not  to  be  overlooked, 
for  the  pastimes,  the  games  in  the  woods,  and  the 
walks  in  the  environs,  are  the  green  spots  within  the 
memories  of  all  the  old  men  who  were  once  pupils 


NAZARETH    HALL.  201 

there.  In  the  summer  season,  the  swimming  ex- 
cursions on  Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons, 
those  immemorial  semi-weekly  holidays,  were  mat- 
ters of  great  desire  and  enjoyment.  The  tutor, 
with  his  "Room"  of  clamorous  youth,  who,  long 
ere  the  hour  of  two  arrived,  became  impatient  to  go 
forth  to  the  Bushkill,1  might  be  seen  departing  on 
a  "  swimming,"  regularly  on  each  of  those  after- 
noons. With  "swimming-breeches,"  as  they  were 
styled  in  the  nomenclature  of  the  Hall,  towel  and 
soap,  and  dressed  in  the  nonchalant  attire  of  boys 
upon  a  hot  day,  the  merry  groups  repaired  to  some 
well-known  "Deep  Hole,"  sufficient  for  the  purpose 
of  making  the  primary  attempts  at  bathing.  On  the 
return  from  the  scene  of  ablution,  a  well-known 
stopping  place  used  to  present  itself  at  Nisky, 
where  the  good  dame  came  forth  with  pots  of  cold 
milk,  pies,  and  buttered-bread,  to  regale  the  appe- 
tites sharpened  to  their  utmost  acuteness  by  health- 
giving  air,  exercise,  and  aquatic  sports. 

At  a  later  day,  and,  indeed,  at  the  time  I  am 
writing,  the  pond  at  Boulton  is  the  exclusive  resort 
for  all  these  purposes,  and  the  first  inquiry  made  by 
the  boys,  on  their  arrival  there,  is  for  the  "  boat- 
key,"  to  enable  them  to  unchain  that  most  important 
instrument  of  the  day's  amusement,  and  sail  on  the 

1  Bushkill,  or  Lehietan,  a  beautiful  and  romantic  stream, 
on  which,  three  miles  distant,  from  Nazareth,  are  situated 
Boulton  gun  works. 


202  MORAVIAN   LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

waters.  Accompanying  these  excursions  may  gene- 
rally be  seen  a  baggage-wagon,  well  provisioned, 
and  fully  appointed  with  all  the  culinary  equipment 
requisite  for  a  whole  day's  encampment  in  the 
woods.  The  appearance  of  the  team,  as  it  moves 
along  the  road,  drawing  the  car  with  a  long  rope, 
similar  to  that  of  a  fire-engine,  is  a  merry  spectacle, 
and  the  arrival  at  Boulton,  within  sight  of  the  water, 
is  generally  announced  by  a  hearty  cheer,  indicative 
of  the  good  state  of  feeling  among  the  boys,  who 
are  like  birds  just  released  from  the  cage. 

Far  up  among  the  winding  recesses  of  the  stream 
there  are  found  romantic  retreats,  where  the  hem- 
lock and  laurel  overhang  and  shade  it.  Here  the 
boys  select  some  quiet  nook  for  their  collations, 
which  receive  additional  zest  from  the  fish  and 
frogs  caught  during  the  day.  Among  the  dense 
thickets  of  laurel  a  fire  is  lighted  to  prepare 
the  meal,  boil  the  coffee,  etc.,  imparting  to  the 
tableau  the  appearance  of  a  gipsy  encampment. 
Such  entertainments  as  are  here  enjoyed  give  relish 
to  the  tedium  of  academic  life ;  these  healthful 
out-door  recreations  invigorate  the  system  and  im- 
part buoyancy  to  the  temperament,  and,  to  prevent 
its  sinking,  they  should  always  be  indulged  in  to  an 
extent  compatible  with  a  judicious  and  lenient  dis- 
cipline. 

During  the  autumn,  when  the  leaf  of  the  forest  turns 
to  its  sere  and  yellow  hues,  new  interest  is  felt  for 
the  arrival  of  four  p.m.,  and  each  boy,  armed  with 


NAZARETH    HALL.  203 

bag  and  club,  strikes  into  the  woods  to  gather  the 
wild  offerings  of  the  season.  This  portion  of  out- 
door life  has  its  never-failing  joys,  and  I  have  known 
boys  to  lay  up  during  those  days  of  brown  autumn 
stores  of  nuts  for  esculent  purposes,  which  have  ex- 
cited the  envy  of  many  a  gray  squirrel.  To  discuss 
these  nuts  becomes  the  employment  of  the  winter 
months,  and  they  prove  an  excellent  solace  for  the 
deprivation  of  the  higher  luxuries  of  home.  They 
cost  much  personal  labor,  and  involve  many  adven- 
tures in  gathering  them. 

Having  laid  up  these  winter  stores,  due  prepara- 
tions are  now  made  for  the  scene  that  soon  discloses 
itself  in  the  snow-clad  fields  and  icy  ponds  in  the 
vicinity.  Descending  on  sleds  is  a  daily  amusement, 
and  Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons  enable  the 
"  Rooms"  to  go  out  and  enjoy  sledding  and  skating 
in  all  their  glory.  These  parties  are,  probably,  the 
merriest  in  the  yearly  round  of  amusements,  and  the 
recollection  of  them  in  the  minds  of  those  who  re- 
vert to  them,  is  always  glowing  and  cheerful.  The 
most  intensely  cold  days  are  braved  with  indiffer- 
ence, and  the  young  life-blood  warms  to  the  highest 
point  the  enthusiasm  of  those  inspiring  pleasures. 
But,  perhaps,  the  general  sleigh-ride  by  all  the 
"Rooms,"  is  the  most  exciting  occurrence  of  the 
year,  (always  excepting  Examination-day  and  de- 
parture for  home.) 

In  more  primitive  days,  on  the  first  appearance 
of  a  deep  fall  of  snow,  it  was  customary,  on  the 
18* 


204  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

afternoon  preceding  the  grand  fete,  to  go  out 
among  the  neighboring  farmers  and  engage  a  full 
cavalcade  of  sleighs,  sufficient  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  the  whole  school.  A  party  of  one  hundred 
required  a  considerable  muster,  and,  before  the  mo- 
dern encroachments  of  luxury  and  taste,  with  paint, 
arabesque  and  gilding,  and  buffaloe  and  tiger  skins, 
had  crept  into  the  country,  the  old-fashioned  stiff- 
backed  sleigh,  with  the  home-made  party-colored 
coverlet  trailing  behind,  was  often  introduced  into 
the  merry  train.  The  steeds,  often  past  the  meridian 
of  life,  and  educated  to  toil  rather  than  pleasure, 
and  the  drivers,  innocent  of  the  dangers  that  Bellero- 
phon  had  encountered,  yet  all  seemed  inspired  by 
the  occasion,  and  the  grand  signal  for  departure  was 
given,  followed  by  the  music  of  the  bells,  the  cheers 
of  the  boys,  and  the  acclamations  of  the  specta- 
tors. For  the  stopping-place,  some  inn  was  generally 
selected  where  the  cuisine  stood  in  fair  repute,  and 
to  which  due  notice  of  the  number  of  the  party  and 
the  hour  of  arrival  had  been  sent  the  day  before. 

All  these  events  are  written  as  the  things  of  a 
past  day,  yet  the  customs  of  which  they  formed  a 
part  still  survive,  under  modified  forms,  but  imbued 
with  as  jovial  indications  of  youth  as  ever.  The 
old-fashioned  sleigh,  with  its  coverlet,  has  given  place 
to  the  ample  omnibus  and  four,  driven  by  an  adept, 
with  a  full  supply  of  dark  fur  robes,  and  miniature 
bells  in  numberless  strings  in  lieu  of  the  large  one 
formerly  dangling  beneath  the  horse's  neck  ;•  all  mark 


NAZARETH    HALL.  205 

a  new  age  in  the  outward  circumstances  of  life, 
although  the  heart  and  its  joys,  youth  and  its  pre- 
dilections, remain  as  ever,  bright  and  cloudless. 

Among  other  things  now  passed  away,  was  the 
celebration  of  teachers'  and  principals'  Birth-day. 
The  former  was  generally  made  the  occasion  of  an 
afternoon  party  in  one  of  the  "Rooms,"  and  par- 
ticipated in  by  a  few  teachers,  over  coffee,  cigars, 
and  buns ;  while  the  boys  belonging  to  the  same 
Room,  and  seated  at  their  long  tables,  enjoyed  that 
part  of  the  luxury  which  related  to  the  coffee  and 
buns.  This  "Vesper,"  as  the  collation  was  termed, 
was  a  convivial  one,  and  was  an  offspring  of  Mora- 
vian life  which,  as  already  seen,  makes  the  Birth- 
day a  prominent  and  happy  event. 

There  is  no  record  left  to  show  when  the  last  of 
these  joyous  afternoons  was  observed,  but,  together 
with  the  "Inspector's  turkey-feast,"  on  the  occasion 
of  his  own  anniversary,  they  are  now  deemed  obso- 
lete. 

In  1855  the  Examination  and  the  Centenary 
Anniversary  of  the  erection  of  the  Hall  were  cele- 
brated on  the  same  day. 

To  give  a  becoming  acknowledgment  to  this  event, 
the  boys  decorated  all  their  "Rooms"  with  oak-leaf 
garlands  and  inscriptions  on  the  walls,  indicative  of 
the  day,  the  vacation  and  its  pleasures.  In  the 
chapel,  prepared  by  the  hands  of  the  tutors,  were 
beautiful  devices  of  hemlock  wreaths,  roses,  and 
flowers,    illustrative   of    the    jubilee   to    which   the 


206  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

Hall  had  attained,  and,  at  the  same  time,  animat- 
ing the  "  Examination"  by  a  twofold  solemnity. 
The  Hall  had  just  reached  its  hundredth  year  of 
existence;  it  had  been  occupied  as  a  boarding-school 
nearly  all  that  time,  and  had  sent  forth  from  its 
tutelage  fourteen  hundred  pupils.  In  the  recita- 
tion and  musical  department,  unusual  exertions  had 
been  made  by  the  preceptors  to  fill  up  the  pleasure 
of  the  day,  and  every  one  seemed  gratified. 

The  outer  symbols  of  the  affections  and  re- 
joicings, which  we  recognize  in  the  hemlock,  the 
laurel,  the  wild  moss,  and  the  oak-leaf,  fashioned 
into  simple  designs  and  classic  wreaths,  have  ever 
been  a  happy  result  of  art,  as  inculcated  in  the  Hall, 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  these  characteristic  fea- 
tures may  be  preserved,  and  go  down  unchanged 
to  the  youth  of  many  generations  yet  to  come. 

I  have  already  hinted  that  the  garden  retained  its 
identity  more  than  any  other  spot ;  but  even  here, 
many  time-worn  resting-places  have  been  shorn 
of  their  attractions,  and  transformed  into  new 
rural  conceptions.  These  well-known  seats  should 
be  suffered  to  remain,  be  they  ever  so  primitive  or 
rudely  constructed,  until  the  tooth  of  time  shall  have 
gnawed  away  everything  that  is  left  of  them.  They 
are  the  truest  depositories  of  our  youthful  suscepti- 
bilities, and  when  we  come  to  seek  them  out,  after 
long  absence,  the  present  is  completely  merged  in 
the  past. 

An  old  and  cherished  resort  of  the  pupils  of  the 


NAZARETH   HALL.  207 

earlier  part  of  the  present  century  was  "Sacred  to 
Meditation"  the  designation  of  a  summer-house 
near  the  oval  pond,  which  it  overlooked,  and  which 
has  since  been  superseded  by  a  grass  plot.  This 
was  always  occupied  by  some  congenial  conclave, 
discoursing  on  themes  that  most  interested  the  youth- 
ful imagination,  in  the  full  play  of  boyish  fancy  and 
frivolity.  At  the  extremity  of  the  avenue,  which 
first  admits  the  visitor  into  the  garden  through  a 
huge  revolving  gate,  surmounted  by  the  well-known 
eagle,  with  its  outspread  wings,  there  formerly  stood 
another  summer-house,  containing  a  panel  painting. 
It  was  the  clever  production  of  some  forgotten  land- 
scape artist,  perhaps  belonging  to  the  Hall,  and  de- 
scribed a  pastoral  scene,  the  details  of  which  have 
now  worn  off  from  my  memory.  It  long  withstood 
the  ravages  of  the  atmosphere  and  the  vandalism  of 
the  boys,  until,  eventually,  it  became  so  defaced  that 
its  figures  could  no  longer  be  recognized.  This  was 
a  chosen  locality  for  many  of  the  pupils  of  the 
olden  time,  and  the  very  defacements  of  the  picture 
strengthened  their  attachment  to  it.  Over  the  mas- 
sive stone  walls  that  inclose  the  spring  a  balcony  is 
now  erected  for  the  use  of  the  musicians,  who  often 
perform  on  festival  days. 

Of  the  trees  that  formerly  lent  their  grateful 
shadows  to  the  denizens  of  this  hallowed  spot,  the 
greater  part  yet  remain,  noble  and  beautiful  in  their 
old  age.  The  gaunt  and  ungraceful  form  of  the 
American  elm  is  still  to  be  seen  near  the  "Reser- 


208  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

voir,"  while  above  it  we  find  the  stately  and  tower- 
ing white  pines  and  beech.  In  strolling  among 
the  trees,  the  visitor  recognizes,  on  all  sides,  a  host 
of  old  acquaintances  in  these  arborescent  figures; 
and,  although  age  has  swelled  their  proportions  into 
increased  size  and  stature,  they  address  the  mind  by 
the  same  medium  of  intelligence  they  were  always 
wont  to  do.  On  the  beech,  a  well-known  and  ready 
victim  of  the  pocket-knife  everywhere,  many  initials 
may  yet  be  traced  of  boys  who  flourished  here  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago ;  but  where  such  incisions 
were  made  at  an  earlier  date,  they  have  been  con- 
signed to  oblivion  by  the  tree,  whose  monumental 
trust  scarcely  exceeds  a  score  of  years. 

In  revisiting  the  village,  the  former  pupil  will 
miss  many  a  well-known  face,  but  in  an  hour's  stroll 
through  the  garden,  he  will  find  the  English  elm,  the 
ash,  the  beech,  the  pine,  the  copse  of  juniper,  the 
larch,  the  catalpa,  the  poplars,  the  willows  near 
the  stream,  the  same  underwood,  the  same  flowers, 
grasses,  and  mosses  so  familiar  to  him  when  he  dwelt 
among  them. 

In  connection  with  the  Hall,  we  must  not  pass  the 
Sisters'  House  unnoticed,  for,  from  the  part  it  acted 
in  the  cuisine,  it  occupies  an  important  place  in  the 
memories  of  the  older  pupils.  Here,  for  a  long 
time,  flourished  the  "kitchen  department,"  from 
which  the  meals  were  carried  to  the  Hall  refectory  by 
the  Sisters,  who  were  aided  by  the  boys  in  the  capa- 
city of  "Week-holders,"  an  office  which,  every  Satur- 


NAZARETH    HALL.  209 

day  night,  was  assumed,  for  one  week,  by  two  boys 
of  each  "Koom."  Many  pleasing  pictures  of  the 
Moravian  maiden  Sister,  sitting  in  industrious  silence, 
innocent  of  the  world's  attractions,  happy  and  ele- 
vated to  the  inner  element  of  Christian  life  and  con- 
templation, were  found  here,  and  are  still  referred 
to  by  those  who  seek  out  former  acquaintances. 
With  these  the  boys  cultivated  an  intercourse  for 
the  sake  of  a  favorite  mint-cake,  and  repaired  regu- 
larly to  the  Sisters'  House  for  those  invaluable  con- 
fections. The  Sisters'  House  and  its  out-buildings, 
sombre  and  somewhat  dilapidated,  still  remain,  and 
preserve  their  quaint  picture  unaltered  and  uneffaced. 

Examination-days  are  yet  what  they  ever  were. 
The  same  exercises  engage  the  efforts  of  the  pupils, 
and  similar  scenes  are  enacted  over  again  at  the  de- 
parture for  home.  In  the  "Square,"  the  busy  scene 
is  still  beheld,  of  leave-taking,  heaping  up  trunks, 
last  adieus,  hurras  for  home,  and  all  the  other  ac- 
companiments of  the  close  of  the  session.  Sad 
hearts,  as  ever,  linger  behind  within  the  silent  walls, 
looking  on  the  gay  spectacle  before  them,  and 
repining  at  their  own  lot,  which  dooms  them  to  re- 
main, while  others  depart  with  visions  of  enjoyment 
in  store. 

Since  the  day  of  which  I  was  a  part,  some  changes 
have  taken  place  in  the  exterior  of  life,  in  the  conven- 
tionalities of  thought,  and  in  the  general  observances 
of  society;  yet  here  youthful  ebullitions  come  up 
from  the  same  spring  they  ever  did,  and  the  heart's 


210     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

fountains,  like  the  deep  sources  of  the  mountain 
brook,  remain  the  same  throughout  all  time. 

As  soon  as  the  ''Examination"  is  over,  and  the 
"  Vacation"  has  arrived,  liberty  lends  wings  to  the 
youthful  captive,  and  he  feels  like  an  unchained 
being.  During  a  four  weeks'  respite,  he  can  throw 
aside  the  shackles  that  bound  him,  and  his  allegiance 
to  preceptor  and  to  school. 

Many  return  with  pleasure  to  their  adopted  home, 
the  abode  of  learning,  where  the  foundation  of  early 
affection  of  both  mind  and  heart  is  first  laid,  and 
the  attachment  to  the  Hall  endures  for  a  triennial  stay 
there.  But  as  the  boy  develops  and  strides  forward 
toward  manhood,  his  yearnings  for  the  larger  pursuits 
and  ambitions  of  life  come  on,  his  wishes  increase 
upon  him,  and  he  gradually  tires  under  the  confine- 
ment of  his  Alma  Mater. 

This  is  probably  as  it  must  be,  but  even  in  three 
or  four  years  the  discipline  of  this  peculiar  school 
will  tell  upon  future  character.  Of  all  its  eleves  who 
have  gone  forth  to  occupy  the  position  in  society 
which  Providence  may  have  assigned  them,  few,  it  is 
gratifying  to  observe,  have  dishonored  the  institution 
that  fostered  their  juvenile  years.  Few,  it  is  true,  ever 
reached  that  high  eminence  which,  in  the  accepta- 
tion of  the  world's  vocabulary,  is  called  fame ; 
yet  if  we  follow  their  career  along  those  ordinary 
paths  where  true  merit  and  genuine  worth  find  their 
own  rewards,  we  shall  see  that,  without  reaching 
any  dazzling  eminence  or  pride  of  place,  on  them 


NAZARETH    HALL.  211 

the  Hall,  the  good  tree  of  wisdom  and  decorous  de- 
meanor, always  left  fall  its  grateful  fruits.  In  looking 
over  the  career  and  fate  of  others,  we  may  find  that 
life  proved  a  shipwreck  of  the  virtues  and  the  early 
inculcations  of  religion,  even  to  the  tender  nursling 
of  Moravian  paternity;  but  if  the  eye  could  have 
reached  the  deep  recesses  of  the  heart  of  those  fallen 
ones,  doubtless,  secret  yearnings  for  that  Arcadia  of 
their  youth  could  have  been  discerned. 


19 


XL 

ENVIRONS    OF   NAZARETH. 

In  leaving  the  Hall,  its  inmates,  their  duties  and 
their  pleasures,  it  will  be  worth  our  attention  to  look 
around  and  see  what  is  left  of  the  original  Naza- 
reth itself,  as  it  stood  when  the  scenes  of  which  I 
have  given  a  sketch  took  place. 

Something  of  the  original  village  may  be  con- 
ceived, by  visiting,  here  and  there,  an  antiquated 
house,  that  has  withstood  the  inroads  of  time  and 
the  encroachments  of  modern  architecture.  Few  of 
these,  however,  remain ;  the  village  itself  having,  by 
constant  renovation,  become  completely  modernized. 
The  antiquarian  in  these  matters  of  early  Moravian 
vestiges  feels  an  interest  in  researches  connected 
with  them,  for  the  tale  of  Moravian  life  was  marked, 
poetical  and  picturesque. 

The  old  cemetery  beyond  the  boys'  play-ground 
may  still  be  graced,  although  it  was  suffered  to  fall 
into  neglect,  the  land  it  occupied  having  been  sold, 
and,  for  want  of  sufficient  interest  in  it,  no  proper 
measures  were  taken  to  secure  in  perpetuity  this  old 
and  remarkable  burial-place.  A  few  of  the  broken  and 
fragmentary  slabs,  with  defaced  names  upon  them, 
(212) 


ENVIRONS  OF  NAZARETH.         213 

have  been  rescued  and  preserved  in-the  room  of  the 
Moravian  Historical  Society.  It  was  here  that  in- 
terments from  Ephrata,  the  "Rose,"  and  Old  Naza- 
reth took  place,  and  during  the  appalling  times  of 
Indian  warfare,  the  funeral  procession  often  moved 
in  fear,  and  required  an  armed  guard  for  an  escort 
into  the  woods.  Standing  alone,  in  its  solitary  re- 
ality, that  ancient  burial-ground  might  have  proved 
an  object  of  thoughtful  meditation,  for  it  gave  a 
resting-place  to  some  of  those  early  pioneers  and 
Indian  converts  whose  names  it  would  be  pleasant 
to  read,  and  which  the  pilgrim  to  that  silent  spot 
would  gladly  seek. 

A  little  south  of  the  cemetery  are  the  most  favorite 
and  noted  views  the  environs  of  Nazareth  furnish. 
From  Gnadenthal  Hill,  lying  but  a  short  walk's  dis- 
tance west  of  the  play-ground,  the  southern  panorama 
presents  itself,  and  will  repay  the  visitor  for  his 
ramble  thither.  Far  as  the  vision  reaches,  can 
be  seen  an  intermingling  of  hills  and  champaign 
country,  dotted  with  small  settlements  and  farm- 
houses, and  inclosed  along  the  southern  and  western 
horizon  by  the  Lehigh  Hills  and  the  Blue  Ridge. 

The  Gnadenthal  Hills  have  always  been  a  che- 
rished resort,  both  to  the  strolling  student,  in  search 
of  a  fine  pictorial  study,  and  to  the  gay  school-boy 
troop,  who  were  wont  to  cross  them  in  autumn  to 
visit  the  orchards  of  "Old  Schlabach,"  and  take 
home  liberal  supplies  of  apples.  And  when  the 
chestnuts  ripened,  this  was  the  scene  of  action  for 


214  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

the  busy  lads  who  sought  the  coveted  fruit  of  the 
beautiful  tree  that  crowns  the  summits  of  these  hills. 

In  addition  to  the  view  from  this  western  point, 
the  picture  around  the  play-grounds  is  engrossing 
to  the  wanderer  over  this  well-trodden  ground.  Its 
beauty  was  never  lost  upon  the  contemplation  of  the 
tutor,  as  he  sat  on  a  rustic  bench  during  the  plays 
of  the  boys,  and  the  latter  themselves,  after  the  ab- 
sence of  half  a  lifetime,  seek  the  spot  to  realize  once 
more  that  which,  implanted  in  the  early  imagina- 
tion, becomes  a  subsequent  day-dream. 

If  the  sojourner  here  wish  to  extend  his  researches, 
and  feast  upon  the  pictures  around,  let  him  drive  out 
through  the  ancient  and  still  lingering  remnant  of 
the  Moravian  village  of  Christianspring.  In  this  ex- 
cursion he  will  pass  the  site  of  Gnadenthal,  now  con- 
verted into  the  County  Aims-House,  but  still  pre- 
serving one  or  more  of  the  original  structures  that 
composed  the  place.  In  the  visit  to  Christianspring, 
he  will  discover  the  ancient  houses  as  they  always 
stood,  but  for  a  key  to  their  design  and  history,  he 
must  refer  to  oral  information  and  written  chroni- 
cles. The  same  may  be  said  of  the  whole  ramble 
around  Nazareth  and  its  environs.  The  curious  ex- 
plorer should  be  versed  in  the  history,  the  incidents 
and  the  characters  of  an  early  period,  and  be  im- 
bued with  some  feelings  of  admiration  for  their  moral 
achievements. 

Two  pleasant  retreats,  known  as  the  "John 
Spring,"   and   the  "Lundt  Spring,"  are  engraven 


ENVIRONS  OF  NAZARETH.         215 

upon  that  same  tablet  on  which  so  much  has  already 
been  written,  for  they  were  favorite  resorts  during 
moments  of  liberty  from  the  enthrallments  of  study, 
and  even  in  this  late  day  of  the  life  of  many  a  former 
pupil,  these  springs  and  their  gurgling  waters  call  up 
visions  of  the  morning  of  their  manhood. 

The  "John  Spring,"  which  was  inclosed  within  a 
small  hollow,  or  ravine,  at  the  termination  of  the 
' 'Round  Place,"  surrounded  and  sheltered  overhead 
by  dense  foliage  of  oaks  and  chestnuts,  not  only 
attracted  the  school-boy  to  its  sequestered  and  lonely 
shades,  but  in  the  stroll  around  Nazareth  it  always 
became  a  point  of  attraction.  But  in  visiting  at  this 
time  what  was  formerly  known  as  "John  Spring," 
it  is  difficult  to  recognize  where  that  favorite  spot 
was,  and  where  that  cool  spring  oozed  out  of  the  hill 
beneath  the  spreading  shade  of  those  old  trees ;  for 
those  well-known  trees  have  all  been  leveled  with  the 
ground,  the  ploughshare  has  been  there,  and  open 
fields  and  glaring  sunbeams  have  driven  away  the 
twilight  stillness  that  was  so  long  its  charm. 

In  exploring  the  localities  known  as  the  "Lundt 
Spring,"  we  shall  find  that  nature  has  for  once 
retained  her  mastery,  and  that  little  has  been 
done  by  the  hand  of  man  to  mar  her  primitive 
beauty.  The  "Lundt  Spring,"  lying  deep  down  in  a 
ravine,  to  the  north  of  the  village,  preserves  its  ro- 
mantic identity. 

The  old  "Bore  Spring"  still  issues  forth  perpen- 
19* 


216  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

dicularly  out  of  the  same  perforation  once  made  for 
it,  and  whence  tradition  says  it  spouted  up  some  feet 
in  height;  and,  as  we  tread  the  paths  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  noted  fountain,  the  dark  slate  rocks  fringed 
with  moss  and  ferns,  and  rare  wild  flowers,  still  lend 
a  picturesque  aspect  to  the  sides  of  the  hill. 

The  "Lundt  Spring"  is  a  place  well  adapted  for 
parties  of  pleasure,  and  is  often  made  available  for 
that  purpose.  It  is  also  resorted  to  by  the  lover  of 
solitude  and  study,  and  as  it  is,  to  all  appearances, 
unassailable  by  the  hand  of  utility  and  improvement, 
it  will  probably  long  flourish  in  its  primeval  wildness. 
Although  the  woodman's  dreaded  axe  is  fast  approach- 
ing, and  is  occasionally  heard  near  and  around  it, 
sweeping  from  the  earth  the  genius  of  poesy  and 
imagination,  and  following  alone  the  rude  instincts  of 
necessity  and  material  wants,  yet  this  solitary  foun- 
tain, amid  the  concealments  of  venerable  oaks  and 
its  rocky  defile,  will,  let  us  hope,  be  long  held  sacred 
by  the  coming  generation.  The  villagers  have  re- 
served the  grounds  that  inclose  the  spring,  and 
with  rude  seats,  and  paths,  and  rural  architecture, 
have  rendered  the  spot  inviting  to  the  pleasure- 
seeker  who  loves  to  stray  into  the  quiet  woods, 
where  can  be  heard  no  sounds  but  those  of  birds  or 
or  of  the  dripping  waters  of  some  cool  spring. 

A  short  walk  south  of  the  "  Whitefield  House,"  or 
Ephrata,  leads  to  the  site  of  Old  Nazareth.  The 
ancient  building  that  constituted  the  chief  abode  of 
the  early  inhabitants  has  recently  been  removed, 


ENVIRONS  OF  NAZARETH.         217 

after  having  stood  for  a  long  time,  attracting  the  gaze 
of  the  curious,  and  inviting  many  an  explorer  of 
our  antiquities  to  its  interior,  to  discover  that  rude, 
quaint,  and  primitive  workmanship,  in  which  the 
hands  of  one  of  the  first  and  most  remarkable  Mora- 
vians, of  him  who  felled  the  first  tree  for  the  build- 
ing of  Herrnhut,  were  engaged.  That  man  was 
Christian  David. 

Passing  through  the  gateway,  formerly  guarded 
by  the  "  Two  Lindens,"1  but  now  by  their  successors, 

1  For  a  long  time  those  two  lindens  stood,  majestic  con- 
sorts, overhanging  the  gateway,  and  were  objects  of  great  at- 
traction. The  "  corpse-house"  was  in  close  proximity  to  them, 
and  the  funereal  scene,  just  before  the  procession  moved 
onward  to  the  cemetery,  was  enacted  under  their  boughs. 
Here  the  boys  played,  and  their  recollections  of  the  Hall 
and  its  surroundings  are  enlivened  by  the  noble  trees  that 
shaded  their  sports,  and  became  the  objects  of  their  boyish 
attachments.  Old  Father  Schafer,  who  lived  near  the  Square, 
in  the  little  stone-house,  which,  to  this  day,  stands  in  its  pris- 
tine simplicity  and  humility,  became,  in  a  measure,  immor- 
talized by  having  unconsciously  performed  the  meritorious 
deed  of  planting  those  two  trees.  No  chronicle  of  the  oc- 
currence being  within  my  reach,  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  say 
how  long  ago  this  took  place  ;  but  the  greater  part  of  a  cen- 
tury must  have  elapsed  since  the  date  of  the  event. 

Father  Schafer,  as  he  was  wont  to  pass  the  Hall,  to  and 
fro,  became  known  to  the  boys  as  the  worthy  who  planted 
the  lindens  ;  and  in  1855,  when  the  Eeunion  of  the  old  pupils 
took  place,  there  was  a  reverential  mention  made  of  him, 
in  recalling  the  images  of  the  two  trees  that  now  could  no 
longer  be  seen ;  for  decay  having  come  upon  them,  and  ren- 


218     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

and  through  an  avenue  of  English  elms,  of  recent 
growth,  and  climbing  the  ascent  leading  past  the 
garden,  we  are  brought  to  the  cemetery.  Imme- 
diately  over    the    entrance    are    the    words    from 


dered  them  unsafe  occupants  of  the  place  which  they  had 
adorned,  they  shortly  before  had  been  felled  to  the  ground. 
Here  they  stood,  the  janitors  of  the  gateway,  and  as  we 
passed  into  the  pleasure-grounds,  or  if  we  stood  upon  the 
summit  of  the  hill  and  looked  down  upon  the  village  and  its 
environs,  the  two  huge  lindens  were  objects  of  glad  recog- 
nition. 

Those  old  acquaintances  are  gone.  For  some  years  their 
stumps  were  still  examined  by  the  curious  pilgrim,  but,  during 
the  summer  of  1857,  the  old  pupils,  assembling  on  the  vene- 
rated spot,  decided  on  replacing  the  lindens  by  planting,  with 
all  due  ceremony,  two  nurslings,  which,  we  hope,  many  of  the 
living  youth,  who  assisted  in  the  transaction,  may  live  to  see 
grow  up  into  a  sturdy  old  age. 

The  two  original  lindens  have  had  many  to  lament  their 
fall,  as  the  boys  of  thirty  and  forty  years  ago,  feeling  the  glow 
of  rejuvenescence  within  them,  have  returned  to  revel  in 
the  past,  and  become  young  again,  by  culling  the  flowers  of 
departed  days.  Many  of  those  flowers,  it  is  true,  have  lost 
their  fragrance ;  they  smell  sweetly  no  more,  as  they  did  when 
a  merry  boyhood  knew  no  bitterness ;  still  they  are  beautiful 
to  the  soul,  and  the  heart  of  the  grown-up  man  feels  chastened 
as  he  gathers  them. 

What  the  eventual  fate  of  the  lindens  was,  I  never  learned ; 
whether  their  trunks  were  sacrilegiously  used,  for  fuel,  or 
piously  preserved,  history  does  not  say;  yet  the  important 
position  they  occupied  in  the  memory,  and  the  strong  hold 
they  had  upon  the  veneration  of  all  who  knew  them,  made 
them  deserving  of  a  better  fate  than  probably  befell  them. 


ENVIRONS  OF  NAZARETH.         219 

Scripture:  "Because  I  lived,  ye  shall  live  also;"1 
intimating  that  those  who  are  borne  through  that 
passage  shall,  for  a  short  time,  be  seen  no  more,  but 
that  the  death,  which  is  thought  to  seal  up  all  earthly- 
hopes  and  aspirations,  is  only  a  transient  sleep, 
and  a  preparation  for  a  bright  reunion  of  kindred 
spirits.  Its  chosen  situation  on  the  summit  of  the 
hill,  where  the  eye  looks  down  on  Nazareth  and 
takes  in  the  whole  landscape,  has  always  made  it  dis- 
tinguished among  our  burial-places.  The  ground  is 
laid  out  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  of  all  the  Mora- 
vian cemeteries,  one-half  allotted  to  each  sex.  Each 
grave  is  covered  with  a  la#ge,  oblong  marble  slab, 
bearing  the  name,  age,  place  of  nativity,  and  of  death. 
Around  the  mound  that  marks  the  grave,  humble 
flowers  are  planted  and  nurtured,  and  of  these  the 
wild  thyme  is  a  well-known  favorite.  Within  late 
years  trees  have  been  added,  and  will  in  time  be- 
come the  chief  interest  and  attraction  of  the  grounds. 
This  sacred  spot,  with  its  ancient  graves,  whose 
inscriptions  tell  of  many  names  that  were  connected 
with  the  annals  of  Nazareth,  is  not  unworthy  of  con- 
templation ;  and  if  the  mind  of  the  visitor  has  fallen 
into  a  proper  mood  by  the  chaste  and  solemn  impres- 
sions of  the  ground  he  treads  upon,  the  study  of  the 
whole  outward  world  will  receive  increased  effect.    Of 


1  This  inscription  above  the  gateway  is  in  imitation  of  the 
Herrnhut  Cemetery,  where  a  similar  quotation  is  placed  over- 
head, in  entering  its  silent  portals. 


220     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

late  years  one  of  the  aged  denizens  of  the  village 
has  taken  the  burial-place  into  his  peculiar  charge, 
selecting  and  planting  the  trees,  improving  the 
walks,  and  gently  letting  down  into  their  small 
narrow  cells  many  of  those  whose  lot  it  is  to  be 
carried  thither.  Having  himself  already  reached 
the  patriarchal  age,  and  seeing  that  the  horizon  of 
this  earthly  sphere  is  gradually  drawing  closer,  he 
seems  to  take  a  pleasure  in  adorning  that  quiet 
place  on  the  summit  of  the  hill,  where  he  too  shall, 
ere  long,  be  borne. 

Of  the  various  strolls  around  Xazareth,  not  the 
least  inviting  is  that  in  the  direction  of  Friedensthal, 
an  ancient  settlement  of  the  Moravians,  where  their 
old  mill  yet  occupies  its  former  site,  although  the 
original  buildings  around  it  have  disappeared.  The 
road  in  this  direction  leads  through  the  settlement 
known  by  the  name  of  Nisky,  a  rural  cluster  of  cot- 
tages of  singular  comfort  and  neatness,  so  that  the 
passer-by  is  almost  tempted  to  step  in  and  see  how 
life  is  spent  in  such  abodes.  Here  the  earth  teems 
with  fruits,  and  the  community  seems  to  sit  in  the 
lap  of  fertility.  No  display  of  art  is  seen  to  grace 
the  dwellings,  but  the  character  of  the  spot  breathes 
that  species  of  tranquil  comfort  which  belongs  to  an 
unassuming  rural  abode.  Xo  place  can  be  found  in 
this  vicinity  to  vie  with  Xisky,  in  all  the  requisites  of 
a  charming  picture,  and  as  we  pass  its  cottages,  with 
smiling  verdure,  fruitful  drapery   and  shady  trees, 


ENVIRONS  OF  NAZARETH.         221 

grouped  around,  we  feel  disposed  to  cultivate  an  ac- 
quaintance with  them. 

Among  these  old  cottages,  there  is,  at  the  extremity 
of  the  village,  one  that  is  rendered  remarkable  as  the 
former  hospice  of  the  boys,  when  they  returned  from 
bathing,  of  which  I  have  made  mention  while  re- 
counting their  aquatic  feats.  The  domicile  stands 
in  its  primitive  aspect,  surrounded  by  its  green 
lawn,  and  shaded  by  its  fruit-trees,  as  in  days 
of  yore.  But  the  inmates  who  then  ministered  to 
the  school-boys'  wants,  and  opened  the  door  of  hos- 
pitality, are  no  more — both,  in  their  appointed  time, 
have  gone  the  way  of  all  the  earth,  and  their  remains 
been  deposited  in  the  beautiful  cemetery. 


XII. 
EPHRATA. 

In  the  eastern  portion  of  the  village  of  Nazareth 
stands  an  old  gray  edifice,  the  appearance  of  which 
betokens  some  peculiar  origin,  and  naturally  awakens 
an  inquiry  in  the  mind  of  the  stranger  as  to  its  his- 
tory and  purposes. 

This  is  the  "Whitefield  House."  For  more  than 
one  hundred  years  it  stood  quite  alone,  having  but 
two  humble  log-huts  in  close  proximity  to  it,  and,  in 
company  with  those,  it  overlooked  that  same  wide, 
unrivaled  domain  I  have  already  pointed  out  from 
the  terrace  of  the  Hall.  This  venerable  mansion  is 
a  solid  structure,  built  of  limestone  in  the  most 
durable  style  of  masonry,  and  fitted  to  resist,  for 
a  long  time,  the  assaults  of  corroding  age.  It 
faces  a  lawn  of  quiet  aspect,  and  the  view  from  its 
upper  windows  is  only  equaled  by  that  from  the 
Hall  or  the  precincts  of  the  cemetery.  This  group 
of  houses,  with  its  allotted  portion  of  land,  is 
called  "Ephrata;"  and  as  it  may  be  considered 
the  cradle  of  Moravianism  in  America,  I  shall, 
after  having  led  my  reader  through  Herrnhut,  and 
(222) 


EPIIRATA.  223 

sketched  the  life  and  character  of  its  founder,  Zin- 
zendorf,  introduce  it  to  his  attention. 

After  Spangenberg,  with  his  small  party  of  ten 
persons,  had  led  the  way  to  our  shores,  we  have 
seen  that  he  was  soon  followed  by  another  company, 
of  twenty  emigrants,  who  settled  in  the  vicinity 
of  Savannah  in  the  year  1735.  Without  effecting 
any  permanent  colony,  they  were,  at  last,  in  con- 
sequence of  hostilities  between  the  province  and 
the  Spaniards,  obliged  to  forsake  the  place.  But 
before  leaving  Georgia  a  few  of  them  became  in- 
timately acquainted  with  George  Whitefield,  who  per- 
suaded those  who  were  good  mechanics  to  go  to 
the  northern  wilds  of  Pennsylvania  and  there,  on  a 
tract  of  land,  five  thousand  acres  in  extent,  erect 
a  large  building  which  he  designed  as  a  school  for 
colored  orphan  children.  The  Brethren  who  under- 
took this  task  were  named  Antes,  Seifert,  and 
Boehler.  When  they  arrived  at  the  designated 
place,  they  found  themselves  in  the  vicinity  of  an 
Indian  village,  where  afterwards  was  "  Old  Naza- 
reth," long  marked  by  its  original  appearance,  and 
the  quaintness  of  its  curiously-built  German-looking 
houses. 

On  their  first  visit  to  this  little  opening  in  the 
wilderness,  the  pioneers  slept  under  an  oak-tree,  the 
roots  of  which  are  still  traced  out  by  one  of  our 
devoted  antiquaries,  and  of  which  a  few  fragments 
are  piously  preserved.  He  points  out  the  spot  where, 
20 


22-4  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

down  in  the  meadow,  a  little  distance  north  of 
Ephrata,  stood  the  memorable  tree  ;  and,  should  any 
one  feel  an  interest  in  exploring  to  their  source  these 
historical  matters,  I  will  refer  him  to  the  "Antiquary 
of  Nazareth."  It  was  under  this  tree  they  termi- 
nated their  day's  toil  by  songs  of  praise,  which,  un- 
fortunately, have  not  been  preserved,  else  it  would  be 
gratifying  to  record  them  here. 

In  an  interview  with  Whitefield,  who  was  then  at 
Philadelphia,  having  left  Georgia  at  the  same  time 
with  the  Moravian  company,  they  settled  the  terms  of 
their  contract  with  him,  and  then,  with  their  families, 
they  returned  to  Ephrata,  to  proceed  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  building.  As  winter  came  on  before 
the  completion  of  the  house,  the  foundations  of  which 
could  only  be  laid  up  to  the  first  story,  log  build- 
ings were  hastily  thrown  up,  and  the  settlers  re- 
mained within  them  until  the  ensuing  spring,  when 
differences  arising  between  them  and  Whitefield,  the 
place  was  forsaken,  and  the  whole  company,  in- 
cluding an  additional  arrival  from  Germany,  pro- 
ceeded to  a  tract  of  five  hundred  acres  that  had 
been  purchased  on  the  Lehigh,  and  now  the  site  of 
Bethlehem.  This  event  occurred  in  1741,  the  year 
following  the  commencement  of  Ephrata,  the  build- 
ing of  which  was  not  resumed  and  completed  until 
1743,  when  the  Brethren  purchased  of  Whitefield 
the  whole  five  thousand  acres  of  land.  This  will 
suffice  as  the  preliminary  history  of  Ephrata,  and 
I  have  unavoidably  introduced  it  here,  as  it  opens 


EPHRATA.  225 

to  view  the  first  permanent  settlement  of  the  Mora- 
vians in  this  country. 

During  the  last  hundred  and  fifteen  years,  the 
antique  pile  has  passed  through  many  vicissitudes,  and 
has  been  appropriated  to  various  uses.  The  most 
important  of  these  was,  for  a  long  time,  that  of  a 
"Nursery"  for  the  infant  children  between  two  and 
three  years,  and  even  younger,  who  were  placed  in 
the  public  charge,  after  having  been  taken  from  their 
parents,  who  were,  by  the  exigencies  of  those  trying 
times,  forced  to  this  measure,  in  order  to  be  enabled 
the  better  to  labor  for  the  common  good  of  the  com- 
munity. 

The  sensibilities  of  a  modern  and  effeminate  age, 
like  our  own,  will  hardly  be  reconciled  to  this  re- 
markable phase  in  the  character  and  history  of  those 
early  Moravian  Brethren,  and  no  religious  ends 
would  seem  to  justify  a  species  of  martyrdom  such 
as  it  was.  But  it  is  difficult  to  realize  the  position 
in  which  the  German  emigrants  of  that  day  really 
stood,  or  to  conceive  the  actual  hardships  they  had 
to  undergo  in  order  to  obtain  the  necessaries  of  life. 
The  nursery  system,  I  am  happy  to  say,  was,  after 
a  course  of  years,  abandoned,  and  Ephrata  was  ap- 
plied to  other  purposes. 

The  interior  of  the  building  exhibits  that  rude- 
ness of  construction  and  material  which  were  the 
result  of  those  primitive  times.  The  wood-work, 
although  recently  covered  with  a  coating  of  paint, 
showed,  for  more  than  a  century,  nothing  but  the 


220     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

dingy  color  of  the  oaken  boards,  which  had  been 
sawed  by  hand  out  of  the  forest  tree.  The  little 
porch,  before  the  entrance  to  the  south  side,  is  of 
the  same  rude  unpainted  material,  as  is  also  the 
frame-work  of  the  windows.  The  sills  of  the  upper 
and  lower  doors  are  made  of  a  finely  variegated  soap- 
stone,  reputed  to  have  been  brought  from  abroad,  and 
at  one  time  rumored  to  be  of  alabaster,  but  with  what 
correctness  I  cannot  say. 

The  site  of  Ephrata  and  Xazareth  seems  to  have 
been  judiciously  chosen,  for  the  remarkable  fertility 
of  all  the  adjacent  lands  has  rendered  this  a 
country  equal  in  productiveness  to  any  portion  of 
Pennsylvania  :  while  a  glance  from  the  upper  apart- 
ments of  the  Ephrata  House  across  the  surrounding 
farms  and  woodland  scenery  will  fascinate  the  eye 
with  their  beauty. 

Though  the  hand  of  change  and  innovation  is  now 
doing  its  work  all  around,  Ephrata  itself  is  still  held 
sacred,  and  the  rude  and  callous  reformer  forbears 
to  touch  it.  While  formerly  it  was  a  quiet  retreat, 
off  from  the  wayside,  as  you  passed  on  to  the  village 
of  Xazareth.  now  the  place  is  almost  absorbed  by 
the  town  itself,  and  its  air  no  longer  is  that  of  per- 
fect and  undisturbed  seclusion. 

At  some  distance  north  of  the  Whitefield  House 
stood,  until  recently,  a  solitary  building  called  uThe 
B  - :."  which  was  a  place  of  refuge  while  the  Indians 
had  possession  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  was 
used  by  the  Brethren  as  an  inn  and  store,  previous 


EPHRATA.  227 

to  the  erection  of  such  places  of  public  accommoda- 
tion in  Nazareth  itself. 

Below  Ephrata,  on  the  site  of  the  old  Indian  vil- 
lage, which  our  three  adventurers  found  there,  Old 
Nazareth  was  commenced  in  1744,  and  was  the  scene 
of  some  of  the  early  operations  of  the  primitive 
people.  The  traditions  of  those  early  days  are  occa- 
sionally drawn  forth  from  some  surviving  descendant 
of  the  settlers,  and  among  these  I  have  found  one 
relating  to  the  "Rose." 

It  was  customary  to  have  all  the  cakes  for  that  esta- 
blishment supplied  from  the  Old  Nazareth  bakery, 
and  a  little  girl  was  charged  with  transporting  them 
on  a  wheelbarrow  out  to  the  "Rose."  On  these 
occasions  the  Indians,  who  infested  the  neighbor- 
hood, frequently  attacked  this  "transportation  line," 
seized  the  wheelbarrow,  trundled  it  to  some  distance, 
to  terrify  the  little  creature,  and  then  restored  it  to 
ner  again. 

It  is  also  told,  and  I  made  some  reference  to  it 
when  speaking  of  the  ancient  burial-ground,  that 
the  early  interments  often  took  place  under  an 
escort  of  armed  men,  who  proceeded  with  the  corpse 
from  the  "Rose"  to  the  "Hutberg,"  as  it  was  then 
called. 

The  "Rose"  itself  now  presents  nothing  more  of 
its  former  appearance  than  its  mere  locality,  which 
is  prettily  chosen,  and  commands  a  fine  southern 
view,  embracing  Ephrata,  Nazareth,  and  the  Lehigh 
hills. 

20* 


228     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

The  walk  between  the  two  places,  Eplirata  and  the 
"Rose,''  through  a  large  portion  of  woods,  in  old 
time?,  must  have  been  a  delightful  one,  passing  over 
in  part  what  was  then  termed  the  "  King's  High- 
way," a  main  road  running  east  of  Eplirata  and 
north  from  Xazareth. 

In  a  few  years  after  the  erection  of- the  Ephrata 
Mansion  and  Old  Nazareth,  the  village  of  Xazareth 
proper  was  commenced,  with  the  Hall,  and,  subse- 
quently, the  Sisters'  House  and  other  buildings. 
The  husbandman  cleared  away  the  forest,  became 
master  of  the  fields,  and  the  sway  of  the  red  man 
was  no  more.  The  last  relics  of  the  aboriginal  -^ere 
left  to  be  turned  up  by  the  plow  for  many  years 
afterwards  ;  and,  indeed,  have  not  yet  escaped  the 
scrutiny  of  the  school-boy,  in  the  jasper-colored 
arrow-heads.  Of  these,  large  numbers  have  been 
picked  up,  and  treasured  as  mementoes  of  savage 
life. 

Upon  the  lawn  in  front,  in  the  olden  time,  many 
pleasant  scenes  took  place,  connected  with  the  so- 
lemnities of  the  church.  One  of  the  most  interest- 
ing of  these  was  the  general  " Love-Feast"  of  the 
congregation,  on  the  day  of  the  laying  of  the  corner- 
stone of  Nazareth  Hall. 

It  is  still  left  to  explain  more  fully  the  origin  of 
the  two  small  block-houses,  mentioned  above  as  be- 
longing to  the  Eplirata  group.  These  aged-looking 
objects  were  thrown  up  in  the  winter  of  1740,  or,  as 
our  most  reliable  antiquary  will  have  it,  one  of  them 


EPHRATA.  229 

only,  and  the  other  in  1743,  for  the  shelter  of  the 
little  company  who  wintered  there.  The  oak  timber, 
of  which  they  are  composed,  is  yet  in  a  tolerably 
good  state  of  preservation;  and  if  those  who  have 
the  control  of  the  property  should  let  their  respect 
of  the  past  remain  in  the  ascendency,  the  humble 
structures,  the  first  refuge  of  our  pilgrim  fathers  in 
this  portion  of  the  New  World,  may  stand  a  long 
while.  Their  sharp  peaked  roofs,  small  windows 
and  frame-work,  already  distorted  by  the  force  of 
time,  their  dusky  look,  and  the  rude,  unhewn  log- 
work  on  one  of  them, — all  serve  to  mark  them  as 
some  peculiar  results  of  a  period  that  has  now  become 
historical. 

In  standing  before  these  houses,  the  interest  in 
them  is  not  a  little  increased  by  the  reflection,  that 
during  the  winter  of  their  first  occupancy  Bishop 
David  Nitschmann,  old  Father  Nitschmann,  and 
Anna  Nitschmann,  whose  history  and  character  I 
have  already  referred  to,  arrived  here,  and  resided 
with  the  other  party  till  the  ensuing  spring.  During 
this  period,  the  latter  had  resigned  her  important 
office  of  Eldress  at  Hermhaag,  in  order  to  travel  to 
a  distant  country,  brave  the  terrors  of  the  sea,  and 
traverse  savage  wilds,  such  as  the  interior  of  Penn- 
sylvania might  be  regarded  at  the  eventful  period 
intervening  between  1740  and  1760. 

If  we  suffer  our  imagination  to  place  us,  during 
that  winter,  in  a  spot  so  far  removed  from  the 
precincts  of  civilization,  we  shall  receive  additional 


230  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

light  on  the  subject  of  the  Moravian  enterprise 
during  its  incipient  stages.  The  Xitschmanns  had 
expatriated  themselves  from  their  native  country, 
Moravia,  had  gone  to  Herrnhut,  and  joined  the 
renewed  church  of  the  Brethren,  and  thence  pro- 
ceeded to  the  great  work  of  the  mission,  by  going 
forth,  personally,  to  explore  distant  lands.  The 
missionary  of  those  days  was  cast  upon  his  own  re- 
sources; the  women  were  given  to  industrious  pur- 
suits, and  generally  the  men  were  able  mechanics ; 
and  while  they  dwelt  within  an  inner  sphere,  their 
outward  life  was  one  of  hardship  and  probation. 

Small  and  obscure  as  the  Moravian  work  seemed 
to  be,  at  the  time  when  Ephrata  was  the  only 
beacon-light  that  presented  itself  to  this  handful  of 
pilgrims,  as  they  traced  the  paths  into  the  unfre- 
quented quarters  inhabited  only  by  the  Indians,  the 
gradual  success  that  everywhere,  at  all  accessible 
points  of  the  earth,  attended  it,  proved  the  wise 
guidance  by  which  its  great  purposes  were  led. 

In  walking  from  the  "Rose,"  or,  rather,  from 
the  spot  where  it  once  was,  the  antiquated  Ephrata 
House,  with  its  sombre  and  significant  exterior,  and 
its  many  historical  associations,  looms  up  before  us. 
Although  this  monument  of  a  past  time  is  nearly 
surrounded  by  the  unattractive  and  commonplace 
facts  of  the  day,  and  of  the  times  in  which  we  move 
and  take  a  part,  yet  the  spirit  of  that  same  past 
hovers  over  and  protects  it. 


XIII. 

BETHLEHEM. 

It  was  early  in  the  year  1741,  that  the  small 
body  of  Moravians,  seventeen  in  number,  who, 
during  the  winter  of  1740,  occupied  the  log-house 
in  Ephrata,  proceeded  to  the  River  Lehigh  to  take 
possession  of  the  five  hundred  acres  of  land  they 
had  purchased  of  Mr.  Allen.  At  that  time  the  In- 
dian stream,  known  by  the  name  of  Lecha,  ran 
peacefully  through  the  mazes  of  a  forest,  along  the 
ridges  of  mountains  called  by  the  same  name. 

When  the  first  axe  was  raised  to  clear  the  site  of 
this  new  colony,  there  were  on  or  near  the  river 
but  two  habitations  of  the  whites,  together  with  a  few 
scattered  Indian  wigwams.  During  a  cold  Decem- 
ber evening  of  this  memorable  year,  a  small  company 
might  have  been  seen  assembled  in  the  obscure  log- 
hut,  which,  with  a  stable  attached  to  one  end  of  it, 
had  been  first  thrown  up  to  meet  the  wants  of  the 
settlers.  Among  this  assembly  were  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf  and  his  daughter  Benigna,  who  had  just  ar- 
rived in  America,  had  found  their  way  to  these 
wilds,    and  joined   the  body  of  pilgrims  who  had 

(231) 


232     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

■wintered  at  Epbrata,  and  the  chief  characters 
among  whom  I  have  named.  The  scene  here  pre- 
sented was  a  Christmas-eve  in  the  woods,  and  on 
that  eventful  night  the  Moravian  hymn  of  Zinzen- 
dorf's  own  composition  was  heard  to  rise  out  of 
the  hut,  uttered  "by  the  voices  of  that  choir  of  de- 
voted Christians,  their  hearts  filled  with  increased 
interest  from  the  coincidence  that  the  Christmas 
celebration  was  performed  in  part  within  a  stable. 
The  proposed  name  of  the  settlement  had  been 
Bethlechem,  or  house  on  the  Lecha,  but  as  the 
scenes  of  Bethlehem,  in  Judea,  on  the  night  of 
the  Saviour's  nativity,  had  just  been  commemo- 
rated, it  was  suggested  it  should  be  changed  to 
Bethlehem. 

In  the  following  year,  1742,  a  large  house  was 
completed  for  the  accommodation  of  the  infant  con- 
gregation, and  new  accessions  coming  in  from  Eu- 
rope, the  village  gradually  swelled  in  size. 

The  aboriginal,  who  was  then  the  occupant  of  this 
wild  domain,  soon  came  within  the  softening  influ- 
ence of  the  gospel  introduced  by  the  Moravian  Bre- 
thren, became  a  convert  to  Christianity,  and  a  friend 
to  the  cause  and  interests  of  the  small  band  of  emi- 
grants who  took  possession  of  this  spot.  Subse- 
quently, those  tribes,  who  were  not  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  Moravian  settlement,  and  who  were 
opposed  to  the  Christian  converts,  either  through  the 
animosity  so   apt  to  be   entertained  by  a  separate 


BETHLEHEM.  233 

people,  or  from  opposition  to  the  English,  being 
under  French  influence,  proved  offensive  and  dan- 
gerous to  the  inhabitants  of  Bethlehem,  and  frequent 
incursions  were  made  toward  and  against  the  place. 
To  ward  off  these  dangers  all  the  vigilance  of  its  in- 
habitants were  exercised,  and  their  escape  from  mas- 
sacre and  total  extinction  is  one  of  the  miracles  of 
their  history.  It  is  related  of  those  early  times,  that 
the  Sisters  would  at  one  time  be  in  the  field  gather- 
ing flax,  when  the  Indians,  approaching  by  stealth, 
endeavored  to  make  them  their  prey ;  at  another  time, 
ignited  wads  would  be  discharged  into  the  thatched 
roofs  of  the  houses,  in  order  to  set  them  on  fire. 
In  addition  to  this,  the  Indian  converts  were  in 
jeopardy  from  the  government  itself,  as  the  English 
had  offered  a  high  reward  for  an  Indian  scalp,  which 
rendered  it  hazardous  for  any  of  the  uncivilized 
people  who  enjoyed  the  protection  of  Bethlehem,  to 
venture  far  into  the  forest,  as  their  death  would  be 
the  inevitable  penalty,  should  they  fall  into  the 
hands  of  a  white  or  savage  enemy. 

The  red  man,  who  was  thus  domiciled  and  domes- 
ticated among  the  Moravians,  soon  became  attached 
to  the  new  mode  of  life  he  had  assumed  and  the  new 
religion  he  had  adopted  in  exchange  for  that  which 
he  had  laid  aside.  The  services  for  the  Indian  au- 
dience were  performed  in  their  own  language,  trans- 
lations being  provided  for  them,  and  every  facility 
was  afforded  for  the  proper  comprehension  of  that 


234  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

Divine  instruction,  which  now,  for  the  first  time, 
threw  a  flood  of  light  upon  their  souls.  In  reading 
these  passages  of  Moravian  life,  where  the  Indian 
group  engrosses  the  picture,  we  are  struck  with  the 
unique  and  marked  peculiarity  of  the  people  whose 
history  and  fame  we  are  thus  cursorily  dwelling 
upon. 

The  period  that  characterized  early  Bethlehem 
was  one  of  the  poetical  phases  in  the  history  of  our 
race,  and  although  the  modes  and  associations  of  life 
were  rude,  the  aims  were  purely  spiritual,  and  every 
individual  was  endowed  with  inner  impulses.  As  the 
imagination  carries  us  back  to  that  period,  we  hear 
a  solemn  chaunt,  the  music  of  the  Moravian  hymn,  in 
the  Mohican  tongue.  The  actors  in  this  scene  are 
in  primitive  costume,  modified  by  intercourse  with 
the  whites ;  and  as  the  anthem  ascends  on  high,  or 
the  Christian  prayer  is  poured  out  in  heathen  tones, 
the  spectacle  becomes  interesting,  and  significant  of 
the  lofty  mission  of  the  early  Moravians.  At  that 
time,  as  well  as  at  the  present,  the  entire  passion 
and  aims  of  life  were  directed  to  reclaim  the  savage, 
and  to  witness  the  effects,  upon  the  untamed  mind,  of 
the  doctrine  of  salvation,  couched  in  the  fascinating 
imagery  of  Moravianism.  If  all  the  transactions  of 
that  life  could  be  brought  to  view,  the  real  history, 
and  not  the  fiction  of  the  Indian  character,  might  be 
realized. 

The  occupation  of  those  Indians  consisted  in 
making  brooms,  weaving  baskets  and  other  similar 


BETHLEHEM.  235 

articles;  and  their  attachment  to  the  Brethren  lasted 
through  life,  few  ever  forsaking  it  when  once  formed, 
but  living,  dying,  and  receiving  interment  in  this 
place  of  their  adoption.  Many  of  the  graves  of 
these  early  converts  are  still  visible  in  the  cemetery, 
on  its  northern  side,  with  their  respective  names 
chiseled  on  the  mouldering  stones.  To  these  I  would 
have  the  pilgrim  bend  his  steps,  whenever  he  may 
feel  prompted,  by  visiting  Bethlehem,  to  recall  the 
thoughts  and  pictures  of  an  earlier  age. 

Anions  the  incidents  of  the  time  to  which  I  am 
now  referring,  one  may  be  culled  from  the  archives 
of  the  church1  at  Philadelphia,  which  will  tell,  in 
more  befitting  language,  what  I  have  attempted 
to  describe.  It  is  the  visit  of  the  Nantikok  and 
Shawano  (Shawnee)  Indians  to  Bethlehem,  which 
took  place  in  July,  1752. 

"  On  Thursday,  the  twentieth  of  July,  a  messenger 
arrived  at  Bethlehem,  bearing  a  string  of  wampum, 
and  commissioned  by  the  Nantikok  and  Shawano 
Indians  to  speak  these  words  : — 

"  'Brother,  I  am  near  to  Bethlehem,  and  am  very 
glad  to  visit  it.  I  am  not  coming  to  treat  about 
any  particular  affairs,  but  in  order  to  see  you. 

"'Every  one  is  glad:  the  chiefs  are  glad,  the 
young  men  are  glad,  the  women  are  glad,  and  the 
children  are  glad.' 

"As  soon  as  this  message  had  been  received,  the 

1  Translated  for  and  published  in  the  "Moravian." 
21 


236  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

Brethren  Owen  Rice,  Horsefield,  and  Burnside,  went 
to  meet  the  Indians  at  the  Manockisy,  on  the  road 
to  Gnadenhiitten,  taking  with  them  some  refresh- 
ments. Presently  the  -whole  company  appeared  on 
the  hill,  marching  in  fine  order.  The  men  had  their 
guns  on  their  shoulders,  butt-end  foremost;  an  aged 
chief  led  them,  carrying  a  pipe  of  peace,  adorned 
with  ribbons.  As  tbey  approached  the  town,  they 
began  to  sing :  '  I  rejoice  to  have  an  opportunity  of 
visiting  the  Brethren.' 

"  Brother  Joseph  (Bishop  Spangenberg)  met  the 
Indians  at  the  gate  leading  into  Bethlehem,  shook 
hands  with  the  old  chief  and  bade  him  welcome. 
He  then  accompanied  the  band  on  their  way  through 
town.  In  front  of  the  Single  Brethren's  House, 
(the  present  boarding-school,)  the  Single  Brethren 
and  boys  stood  grouped  together,  expressing  their 
joy  at  the  visit.  Xear  them  were  the  musicians, 
blowing  the  trombones.  Wherever  the  Indians 
passed,  men  and  women  came  to  the  doors  and 
expressed  satisfaction  at  their  arrival,  until  they 
reached  Friedenshiitten,  (a  small  settlement  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Lehigh.)  where,  in  two  or  three 
hours'  time,  we  had  built  enough  huts  to  accom- 
modate them  all  decently. 

"  After  having  partaken  of  the  refreshments  pro- 
vided for  them,  they  received  numerous  visits  from 
our  Brethren,  and  then  betook  themselves  to  rest, 
fatigued  with  the  excessive  heat  which  prevailed 
during  their  journey.      In  the  evening,  the  chief 


BETHLEHEM.  237 

informed  us  that  they  had  a  word  to  say  unto  us, 
requesting  us  to  name  the  time  and  place,  when  and 
where  they  might  declare  it. 

"  Friday,  July  twenty-one.  The  chiefs,  together 
with  the  greater  part  of  the  Indians,  assembled  in 
our  little  Hall,  and,  after  friendly  salutations  had 
been  interchanged,  the  speaker  stood  up,  holding 
a  string  of  wampum  in  his  hand,  and  spoke  as 
follows : — 

"  'Brother,  I  am  come  from  Gnadenhiitten  to 
Bethlehem,  and  will  not  now  repeat  what  I  said 
there ;  though  with  this  string  of  wampum,  I  will 
brighten  thy  eyes  afresh,  open  thy  ears,  wipe  off 
thy  sweat,  make  thy  throat  smooth,  and  thy  in- 
wards clean,  as  I  did  at  Gnadenhiitten ;  at  the  same 
time,  again  declaring,  that  we  are  very  glad  to  see 
Bethlehem.     All  are  glad,  even  the  children.' 

"  Hereupon  he  presented  the  string  of  wampum, 
which  Bishop  Spangenberg  received,  assuring  him 
that  they  were  welcome,  and  declaring  that  they  had 
seen  with  their  own  eyes,  how  all  rejoiced  at  their 
arrival.  The  speaker  now  stood  up  a  second  time, 
with  another  string  of  wampum  in  his  hand,  and  said  : 
'Brother,  I  come  fromWajomik  (Wyoming)  to  Gna- 
denhiitten, from  Gnadenhiitten  to  Bethlehem,  and 
from  Bethlehem  I  proceeded  to  my  quarters.  I  have 
cleared  all  the  way  with  great  care,  taken  the  stones 
away,  so  that  the  foot  dash  not  against  them  ;  have 
grubbed  up  all  the  stumps,  cut  off  the  boughs,  raised 
the  valleys,  leveled  the  mountains,  so  that  one  can- 


238  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

not  only  go  from  Bethlehem  to  Gnadenhutten,  but 
also  from  Bethlehem  to  Wajomik,  without  impedi- 
ment, and  from  Wajomik  to  Bethlehem ;  there  is 
nothing  more  in  the  way.  I  have  also  swept  clean 
in  Bethlehem;  a  person  may  go  from  Bethlehem  to 
our  quarters,  and  from  our  quarters  to  Bethlehem, 
without  hinderance;  the  road  is  all  as  smooth  and 
even  as  here  in  this  hall.' 

"  When  the  speaker  had  concluded,  Bishop  Span- 
genberg  took  the  string  of  wampum  in  his  hand, 
and  said:  'This  is  a  weighty  word,  in  our  estima- 
tion, but  very  agreeable.  We  will  speak  with  one 
another  about  it,  and  give  you  an  answer  as  soon  as 
we  are  prepared  to  do  so.'  Here  the  interview 
ended.  This  was  followed  by  an  evening  service  in 
the  church,  attended  by  nearly  all  the  Indians,  who 
were  profoundly  attentive.  On  the  following  day 
they  received  visits  from  the  inhabitants  of  Bethle- 
hem, and,  on  Sunday,  all  attended  church. 

"  Other  Indians  from  the  Susquehanna  having 
arrived,  together  with  a  number  of  the  Indian 
Brethren  and  Sisters  from  the  Gnadenhutten  and 
Meniologamekah  settlements,  the  whole  number 
amounted  to  one  hundred  and  thirty-six. 

"  In  the  afternoon,  a  baptism  of  an  Indian  woman 
took  place,  with  two  Sisters  dressed  in  white ;  and 
two  Brethren,  standing  on  each  side,  acted  as  spon- 
sors, while  the  Indians,  seated  in  a  circle  around 
them,  could  see  and  hear  the  whole  ceremony. 

"  On  Monday,  the  twenty-fourth,  we  informed  the 


BETHLEHEM.  239 

Indians,  our  answer  was  ready.  The  interview  again 
took  place  in  the  *  little  Hall.'  In  the  centre  stood 
a  round  table,  covered  with  a  red  cloth.  Two 
lighted  candles  stood  upon  it.  On  the  one  side 
of  the  table  sat  the  chiefs,  and  behind  them  their 
people;  on  the  other  side,  our  Elders,  several  mis- 
sionaries to  the  heathen,  and  as  many  Brethren 
and  Sisters  as  the  hall  could  contain.  Three  per- 
sons from  Philadelphia  were  present. 

"  In  the  first  place,  Bishop  Spangenberg  arose 
and  bade  welcome  to  the  Indians,  asking  them  if 
they  were  ready  to  hear  our  answers.  They  re- 
plied, '  Gladly  !'     Thereupon  he  spoke  as  follows: — 

"'Brother,  you  have  come  from  Gnadenhuttcn 
to  Bethlehem  in  a  time  of  great  heat ;  at  your  ar- 
rival, you  brightened  our  eyes,  wiped  off  our  sweat, 
cleansed  our  ears,  made  our  throats  smooth,  and 
purified  our  inwards  with  this  string  of  wampum,' 
pointing  to  the  string  which  they  had  given,  and 
then  lying  on  Father  Nitschmann's  knee. 

"  'You  have  also  assured  us,  that  it  was  a  pleasure 
for  your  chiefs,  your  young  men,  your  women,  and 
your  children,  to  come  and  visit  the  Brethren.  We 
thank  you  for  this  visit.  We  should  have  cleared 
your  eyes,  wiped  off  your  sweat,  purged  your  ears, 
made  smooth  your  throat,  and  your  inwards  clean, 
but  found  that  what  we  did  at  Gnadenhiitten  to  this 
end  was  sufficient.  Your  eyes  were  clear  and  your 
ears  open  before  our  words  entered  them.  Nothing 
21* 


240  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

bad  has  taken  hold  of  you;  the  good  has  had  an 
entrance.  We  rejoice  at  your  being  here,  and  you 
must  have  seen  that  old  and  young,  men  and  women, 
yea,  the  children,  share  this  joy.' 

"  The  Indian  speaker  then  arose  and  repeated 
Bishop  Spangenberg's  speech,  in  the  Nantikok  lan- 
guage, the  Indians  pronouncing  a  hearty  '  Yes !' 
after  each  sentence. 

"  When  he  had  finished  and  taken  his  seat,  Bishop 
Spangenberg  stood  up  and  answered  the  second  word 
of  the  Indians,  which  referred  to  the  second  string 
of  wampum  received  from  them,  and  now  lying  on 
Father  Nitschmann's  knee.  Pointing  to  it  with  his 
finger,  he  said  : — 

'"Brother,  you  have  told  us,  by  this  string  of 
wampum,  that  you  have  not  only  made  the  way 
clear  in  Bethlehem,  but  also  from  here  to  Gnaden- 
hiitten,  yea,  as  far  as  Wajomik.  You  have  raised 
all  the  valleys,  leveled  the  hills,  taken  away  the 
stumps  and  the  stones,  against  which  one  might 
have  dashed  the  foot ;  you  have  cut  down  the  woods, 
so  that  one  can  see  from  Bethlehem  to  Wajomik  and 
from  Wajomik  to  Bethlehem,  and  pass  to  and  fro 
without  hinderance.  All  this  is  a  matter  of  great 
weight  and  extremely  agreeable  to  us.  We  will 
abide  by  your  words,  make  frequent  use  of  the  road*- 
so  that  no  grass  grow  upon  it ;  and  if  bad  people' 
throw  a  stone  upon  that  way,  we  will  carefully  re- 
move it.  If  the  roots  begin  to  sprout,  we  will  grub 
them   up   again,  so  that   the  ways  always  remain 


BETHLEHEM.  241 

clear.  You,  also,  will  frequently  make  use  of  it, 
and  this  will  be  a  pleasure  to  us.' 

"Spangenberg  now  delivered  the  belt  of  wampum 
to  the  speaker,  who  took  it  and  repeated  this  ad- 
dress in  the  Nantikok  language.  Every  sentence 
was  received  by  the  Indians  with  applause. 

"The  speaker  having  taken  his  seat,  Spangenberg 
then  produced  the  belt  of  wampum,  given  by  the 
Six  Nations  to  Zinzendorf,1  ten  years  before,  and 

1  The  belt  of  wampum,  here  referred  to,  was  that  given  to 
Zinzendorf,  under  the  following  circumstances,  as  related  by 
Spangenberg  : — 

"When  the  Count  (in  1742)  set  out  for  Tulpehokin,  he 
encountered  on  his  way  three  Sachems  of  the  Five  Nations, 
who  had  been  in  Philadelphia,  and  were  now  on  their  return 
home.  One  of  these  was  an  Onondago,  one  a  Cayuga,  and 
the  other  an  Oneida  chief. 

"As  soon  as  Zinzendorf  understood  who  they  were,  he 
communicated  with  them,  and  told  them  that  he  came  to 
them  and  their  people  with  a  word  from  the  Lord,  and  as  he 
brought  these  tidings  in  part  himself  and  in  part  through  his 
Brethren,  he  wished  them  to  say  whether  they  were  satisfied 
to  receive  them.  It  was  not  his  nor  his  Brethren's  object  to 
buy  land  of  them,  nor  to  trade  with  them,  but  only  to  point 
out  the  way  to  eternal  happiness  to  such  of  them  as  were 
willing  to  have  it  shown  them. 

"  Conrad  Weiser,  the  provincial  interpreter,  explained  these 
views  to  them,  and  added  : — '  This  is  the  man  whom  God  has 
sent  from  across  the  seas  to  the  Indian,  as  well  as  the  white 
people,  in  order  to  make  them  know  His  will  to  them.'  He  then 
gave  them  a  present,  after  the  Indian  custom,  to  add  strength 
to  his  words.  The  Indians  received  it,  and  then  held  a  con- 
sultation among  themselves,  as  they  were  wont  to  do,  before 


24:2  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

one  given  by  them  to  Bishop  Camerhoff  two  years 
previously,  at  the  great  council  of  Onondago,  renew- 
ing the  covenant  intended  by  the  first  belt ;  and 
handing  these  to  the  chiefs,  they  examined  them 
very  closely,  and  told  each  other  what  they  signified. 
"After  these  and  other  transactions  had  transpired, 
Brother  Schlagel  entered  the  Hall,  bearing  a  large 
basket  full  of  tobacco,  which  he  placed  at  Bishop 
Spangenberg's  feet ;  while  Sister  Schliigel,  in  the 
name  of  the  Sisters,  brought  two  smaller  baskets 
filled  with  thread,  ribbons,  needles,  pins,  scissors, 
and  thimbles,  telling  the  Bishop,  in  a  low  tone  of 
voice,  that  the  Sisters,  seeing  the  presents  which  the 

giving  answer  to  an  embassy.  After  the  expiration  of  half 
an  hour,  two  of  the  chiefs  came  to  the  Count,  and  addressed 
him  as  follows  : — 

" '  Brother,  you  have  come  a  long  way  to  us  over  the  sea 
to  preach  to  the  white  people  and  to  the  Indians.  You  did 
not  know  that  we  were  here,  and  we  knew  nothing  of  you. 
This  was  done  by  a  high  hand  above.  Come  to  us,  you  and 
your  Brethren,  you  will  be  made  welcome.  Take  with  you 
this  fathom  of  wampum  as  a  token  that  our  words  are  the 
truth.' 

"The  belt  contained  one  hundred  and  eighty  pieces  of 
wampum.  In  1743  the  Count  gave  me  this  belt  of  wampum 
for  future  use,  before  my  intended  departure  for  America,  and 
when,  in  the  course  of  several  years,  I  visited  Onondago, 
where  the  Five  Nations  were  accustomed  to  hold  their  great 
council,  they  soon  brought  the  above  incident  to  remem- 
brance. When  we  produced  the  belt  of  wampum  they  recog- 
nized it,  counted  the  wampums,  and  knew  how  many  had  been 
on  the  strings."  (Spangenberg's  Life  of  Zinzendorf.) 


BETHLEHEM.  243 

Brethren  had  prepared,  were  anxious  to  make  one 
also,  and  had,  therefore,  sent  these  articles.  Then 
the  Bishop  again  stood  up,  and  said :  '  Brother,  our 
young  people,  made  glad  by  your  visit,  have  brought 
you  a  small  present  of  tobacco.  You  have  a  great 
way  home ;  receive  this  gift  in  love.  Our  women, 
also,  have  brought  two  baskets,  full  of  presents  for 
your  women.  A  small  company  of  our  children, 
living  not  far  from  here,  at  Maguntsche,1  having 
heard  of  your  being  here,  resolved  to  bring  you 
their  morsels  of  bread,  but  fearing  that  it  might  get 
too  dry  on  your  journey,  they  have  sent  five  bushels 
of  meal  instead,  which  you  can  divide  among  your- 
selves.' 

"Thereupon,  the  Indians  closed  the  interview  in  the 
following  manner: — The  most  aged  chief  of  the  Shaw- 
nees  stood  up  and  expressed  his  satisfaction  to  his 
people,  who  responded  with  acclamations  of  joy. 
The  most  aged  chief  of  the  Nantikoks  stood  up  and 
spoke  in  the  same  way  to  his  people,  who  also  re- 
ceived his  words  with  applause.  Next  another  chief 
arose,  turned  to  us,  and  assured  us,  in  the  English 
language,  that  they  were  heartily  satisfied  and  thank- 
ful. Finally,  the  speaker,  who  had  conducted  the 
interview  on  the  part  of  the  Indians,  took  the  belts 
of  wampum  in  his  hand,  which  the  Brethren  had 
given,  held  them  aloft,  and,  in  a  very  slow  pace, 
marched  around  the  table.  When  opposite  to  Bishop 
Spangenberg,  he  remained  standing  a  few  minutes, 

1  Now  Macungy,  in  Lehigh  County. 


!44 


Moravian  life  and  character. 


ami  then  continued  his  circuit,  at  the  same  time 
singing  a  short  song  of  thanksgiving.  This  cere- 
mony  was  followed  by  general  applause  from  the 
Indians,  and  then  was  this  -whole  business  con- 
cluded."1 

At  that  time,  Bethlehem  and  Xazareth,  ten  miles 
apart,  were  kept  in  constant  communication  with 
each  other  ;  the  forest  that  intervened  between  them 
was  dense,  and  the  journeyings  to  the  latter  were  ac- 
companied with  difficulties.  Indeed,  the  old  chronicles 
tell  us  how  the  first  parties  going  to  Nazareth  were 
preceded  by  axe-men  to  fell  the  trees  and  clear  the 
way.  \Vhen  the  harvests  at  Xazareth  were  ample,  and 
laborers  were  wanted,  Bethlehem  sent  its  people  to  as- 
sist in  taking  off  and  garnering  the  well-laden  sheaf. 

The  spiritual  Principal  of  the  Sisters'  House  at 
Bethlehem  occasionally  repaired  to  Xazareth  to  per- 
form the  duties  of  visitation,  and  among  the  re- 
markable personages  who  figured  in  those  primitive 
times  were  Sister  Anna  Rosel  and  Susel  von  Gers- 


1  This  visit  of  the  two  Indian  tribes  to  Bethlehem  was  the 
result  of  an  embassy  sent  to  Gnadenhlitten  on  the  fifteenth 
of  the  same  month,  in  order  to  make  acquaintance  with  the 
Brethren,  of  whom  they  had  had  good  reports  through  some 
of  their  own  people.  Bishop  Spangenberg  met  them  at  the 
latter  place,  and  the  ceremonies  enacted  there  were  in  nearly 
the  same  order  as  just  related  of  the  Bethlehem  visit.  Upon 
dismissing  the  party,  they  presented  them  a  tanned  deer-skin, 
to  mend  their  children's  Bhoes,  by  the  way.  adding  to  it  sixty 
bushels  of  flour  and  eighty  pounds  of  tobacco,  which  were 
received  with  expressions  of  joy.  (See  LoskieVs  History  of 
the  Moravian  Missions.) 


BETHLEHEM.  245 

dorf.  In  affairs  of  moment,  these  Sisters  were  called 
in  aid,  and  their  authority  was  duly  submitted  to  in 
all  matters  of  female  jurisdiction. 

Bethlehem  being  then,  as  it  yet  is,  the  central 
point  of  the  Moravians  and  the  seat  of  their  eccle- 
siastical government  in  this  country,  all  the  newly- 
arrived  emigrants  and  visitors  from  Europe  directed 
their  steps  hither.  During  the  Revolution,  it,  as  well 
as  Nazareth,  became  the  refuge  of  American  officers 
and  soldiers,  and  many  a  company  of  troops  stopped 
at  these  towns,  and  quartered  over  night,  or  for  days, 
enjoying  their  hospitalities.  The  chivalric  La  Fay ette, 
after  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  was  taken,  wounded, 
to  Bethlehem,  where  he  was  generously  cared  for, 
and  received  every  attention  until  his  recovery. 
The  friendly  Mohican,  the  American  soldier,  or  the 
foreign  officer,  were  alike  the  recipients  of  Moravian 
sympathy,  and  could,  at  all  times,  flee  thither  as  to 
a  stronghold  of  defence  and  succor. 

Among  the  fine  episodes  in  the  history  of  Bethlehem, 
we  must  not  disregard  that  of  the  presentation  by  the 
Sisters  of  the  banner  to  Count  Pulaski.1  The  memory 
of  this  event  has  been  consecrated  by  Longfellow, 
in  a  poem,  which,  although  filled  with  imagery  en- 
tirely incongruous  in  its  relations  to  the  place  and 
people  whom  it  is  designed  to  commemorate,  is  still 
expressive,  in  the  finest  light,  of  a  transaction  that 
showed,  like  all  others,  the  catholic  philanthropy  of 

1  The  banner  is  now  in  possession  of  the  Maryland  His- 
torical Society. 


246     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

the  Moravian  Brethren  and  Sisters.  It  was  a  pre- 
scribed tenet  of  the  Moravian  to  submit  to  the  ruling 
government,  and  whether  the  Sisters,  in  abetting  the 
cause  of  the  Revolution,  acted  in  strict  conformity 
with  that  rule,  is  a  question  we  can  hardly  allow 
entrance  here,  as  the  whole  incident  seems  to  have 
been  a  matter  of  romance,  which  ought  not  to  be 
marred  by  any  prosaic  considerations. 

Many  a  former  visitor  to  Bethlehem  may  yet  retain 
some  vivid  recollections  of  an  old  time-worn  bridge, 
that  conducted  him  across  the  waters  of  the  Lehigh, 
when  approaching  the  town.  This  bridge  was  an 
uncovered  structure;  the  wood-work  had  become 
gray  with  age,  and  as  the  foot-passenger  loitered  on 
its  side-walk,  and  scanned  the  beauties  of  the  stream 
above  and  below,  with  the  Lehigh  hills  before  him  to 
the  south,  he  was  loath  to  leave  such  an  enchanting 
point  of  view.  When  the  coach  from  Philadelphia, 
after  an  hour's  severe  toil  across  the  mountains,  rolled 
into  the  valley,  its  inmates  were  greeted  at  sunset 
with  the  glowing  scene  before  them.  On  the  opposite 
side,  they  were  pleased  to  recognize,  once  more,  the 
antique  walls  of  the  Sister's  House,  the  school,  the 
imposing  church,  and  numerous  antiquated  edifices, 
that  gave  character  to  the  introductory  portion  of 
the  town.  The  venerable  bridge,  with  its  placid 
waters  beneath,  stood  ready  to  receive  you,  and 
having  no  covering  to  obstruct  the  view,  as  the  jaded 
steeds  plodded  wearily  across  it,  the  eye  was  delighted 
with  the  scene  it  entered  upon. 


BETHLEHEM.  247 

A  quarter  of  a  century  has  done  much  to  impair 
that  beautiful  picture.  Nearly  all  the  quaintness  of 
life  and  character  has  disappeared,  and  though  many 
of  the  self-same  structures  remain  that  made  their 
hold  upon  the  imagination,  new  designs  of  architec- 
ture have,  in  general,  supplanted  the  old,  and  de- 
stroyed the  poetry  of  the  past.  The  old  bridge  was 
swept  away  by  the  flood  of  1841,  and  one  of  modern 
construction  has  taken  its  place.  The  woody  slopes 
of  the  mountain  have,  to  a  great  extent,  been 
cleared,  and  the  din  of  the  railway  and  busy  traffic 
mark  the  progress  of  civilization.  Yet  through  the 
vista  of  these  changes  it  is  delightful  to  look  back 
into  the  past;  for  the  strong  contrasts  of  the  pic- 
ture as  it  is,  and  as  it  was,  lend  additional  charms 
to  that  which  is  gone  and  cannot  be  restored.  Let 
us,  therefore,  occupy  the  spot  a  little  longer,  since 
it  is  the  most  pleasant  and  refreshing  duty  we  have 
to  perform. 

As  the  traveler  stood  upon  the  old  bridge,  and 
dwelt  upon  the  landscape,  the  waters  of  the  Lehigh 
near  by,  and  the  southern  mountains  thrown  into  par- 
tial shade  by  the  declining  sun,  his  eye  rested  upon  that 
wilderness  of  forest  trees,  covering  the  spot  known 
as  the  "Island."  Umbrageous  boughs  invited  the 
rambler,  and  suitable  provision  was  made  for  amuse- 
ment and  meditation ;  and  thus  the  place  became  a 
constant  resort  for  all,  for  the  denizen  as  well  as  for 
him  who  spent  the  summer  months  at  Bethlehem. 
Above  and  around  the  "Island,"  the  Lehigh  rushes 
22 


248  MORAVIAN   LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

along,  and  the  music  of  its  waters  animates  the 
study  which  nature  here  presents.  In  its  present 
aspect  the  "Island"  varies  little  from  its  former  ap- 
pearance, and  although  it  is,  in  some  degree,  shorn 
of  attractions  by  the  encroachment  of  the  railway 
on  the  southern  bank  of  the  river,  and  the  privacy 
of  its  solitude  is  invaded  by  the  locomotive,  yet  in 
its  native  growth  of  forest  trees  it  possesses  an  in- 
extinguishable charm.  Skiffs  line  the  shore,  and 
the  current  is  stemmed  by  those  who  navigate  the 
stream  in  order  to  approach  and  land  upon  the 
"Island."  In  the  evening,  as  the  boats  glide  near 
the  pleasure-ground,  music  floats  upon  the  water,  and 
many  gay  and  picturesque  scenes,  as  in  times  of 
yore,  delight  the  eye,  although  the  living  generation 
has  allowed  an  earlier  stage  of  true  refinement  to 
pass  away,  and  has  adopted  most  of  our  national 
modes  of  life,  and  thus  put  on  much  of  the  gross- 
ness  of  the  day.  The  musical  element  which  charac- 
terized all  Moravian  gayety,  festivity,  and  pastime, 
has  become  diluted  with  national  education  and  na- 
tional associations,  and  as  the  German  becomes 
merged  in  the  American  character,  these  strong 
traits  of  education  and  culture  will  become  less  and 
less  visible. 

Leaving  the  "Island"  and  all  its  scenes  of  mirth, 
of  intellectual  and  musical  recreation,  of  "vespers" 
and  reunions  of  the  innocent  and  happy,  in  times 
that  have  vanished,  and  realized  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree  by  all  those  who   have   lived  in  or  visited 


BETHLEHEM.  249 

Bethlehem,  let  us  call  up  the  reminiscences  as  well  as 
the  living  performances  of  nocturnal  music,  by  trio, 
or  quartette,  or  sextette,  in  the  open  air.  Sere- 
nades were  ever  a  favorite  employment  of  the  Phil- 
harmonic Society,  and,  whether  in  honoring  the 
nuptials  of  the  newly-wedded,  or  breaking  in  upon 
the  solemn  stillness  of  the  midnight  hour  in  bid- 
ding welcome  to  some  favored  guest,  or  compli- 
menting some  esteemed  musician,  the  Nocturne  was 
assiduously  cultivated.  Many  of  the  evening  per- 
formances were  executed  on  instruments,  but  most 
generally  vocal  clubs,  after  the  manner  of  the 
Mannerchore,  went  the  rounds,  singing  well-known 
and  popular  German  airs.  Of  these  compositions  a 
number  are  yet  preserved  and  sung,  such  as  the 
"Chapel,"  by  Kreutzer,  (introduced  by  the  well- 
known  Herrmanns,  a  Bavarian  company,  who  visited 
Bethlehem  some  years  ago,)  a  quartette  of  unrivaled 
purity,  harmony,  and  feeling,  and  listened  to,  time 
after  time,  with  emotion  by  all  who  have  heard  it. 

A  general  love  of  music  was  such  a  distinguishing 
feature  of  old  Bethlehem,  that  the  visitor  was  accus- 
tomed to  hear  on  every  side  the  sounds  of  the  piano. 
Neither  has  the  love  of  that  fine  art  so  far  dimi- 
nished as  to  take  away  this  characteristic  from  its 
people.  The  decline  has  not  been  as  much  in  the 
general  devotion  to  music,  as  in  the  purity  of  taste, 
for  as  the  national  tone  infuses  itself  into  the  Ger- 
man element,  the  fine  classic  musical  cultivation  of 
former  times  appears  to  be  on  the  wane. 


250  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

The  old  cemetery  is  now  in  the  centre  of  the  town, 
and  spreading  trees,  casting  their  luxurious  shadows 
over  the  sacred  spot,  invite  the  meditative  or  curious 
mind  to  seek  for  thought,  or  discover  historical  names 
among  the  mossy  tahlets.  Here,  at  all  times,  parties 
sit  and  stroll  about,  for  the  Moravian  respect  for 
Christianity  reigns  supreme,  and  the  pure  joys  of 
earth  are  not  overclouded  by  the  proximity  of  the 
grave.  The  Bethlehem  Cemetery,  no  less  a  scene  of 
social  reunion  than  its  German  counterpart,  is  a  com- 
mon thoroughfare  for  all,  and  no  compunction  is  felt 
when  straying  from  the  business  paths  of  life  across  the 
precincts  of  the  tomb.  Here  the  obliging  antiquary 
will  aid  us  in  tracing,  among  the  almost  defaced 
and  illegible  grave-stones,  a  number  of  the  Indian 
names  I  have  spoken  of,  which  designate  the  rest- 
ing-place of  many  of  those  early  Christian  converts, 
sons  of  the  primitive  forests,  whom  the  Moravians  of 
Lusatia  found  here. 

11  Their  names,  their  years,  spelt  by  the  unletter'd  muse, 
The  place  of  fame  and  elegy  supply."' 

In  the  year  1842  the  centennial  celebration  of  the 
foundation  of  Bethlehem  was  held  within  the  ceme- 
tery, by  an  evening  service,  with  all  the  ritual  ac- 
companiments of  wind  instruments  and  vocal  music ; 
an  event  that  will  be  long  impressed  upon  the  recol- 
lections of  all  present. 

Passing  alon£  the  southern  walks  of  this  enchant- 
ing  burial-place,  the  eye  rests  upon  a  few  remain- 


BETHLEHEM.  251 

ing  edifices  that  once  constituted  the  most  important 
part,  as  they  now  do  the  most  striking  features 
of  Bethlehem.  The  Sisters'  House,  a  grotesque  pile 
of  old  gray  stone,  with  its  huge  buttresses  and  its 
receding  angles,  still  stands  there,  one  of  the  few 
lingering  monuments  of  the  institutions  I  have  been 
describing;  while  the  more  modern  yet  massive  edi- 
fice, the  church,  bears  also  an  historical  air  in  its 
exterior,  though  founded  in  less  marked  and  pecu- 
liar times  than  those  which  gave  rise  to  the  Sisters' 
House.  This  institution  still,  to  some  extent,  fulfills 
its  original  design,  and  is  the  residence  of  a  mode- 
rate number  of  elderly  maidens,  who,  having  sought 
this  general  asylum  for  all  who  were  deprived  of 
the  advantages  of  a  parental  home,  have  dwelt  here 
for  a  series  of  years.  In  accordance  with  primitive 
Moravian  regulations,  the  maidens  of  the  society 
were  expected  either  to  enter  this  abode,  or  to  con- 
tribute their  tax  to  its  support,  after  the  manner  of 
the  Herrnhutian  and  other  German  Sisters'  Houses. 
These  old  regulations  have  gradually  given  way  to 
modern  ideas,  as  we  are  wont  to  call  them,  and  life 
in  the  Moravian  village,  under  its  reformed  system, 
assimilates  to  life  all  around  it.  The  Sisters'  House 
is  tenanted  by  a  solitary  few — a  lingering  remnant 
of  the  past,  who  still  cling  to  old  images,  and  look 
with  sorrow  upon  the  new. 

The  church,  always  held  in  regard  for  its  chaste 
and  unassuming  architecture,  stands  upon   an   ele- 
vated terrace,  which   confronts  us  in  entering  the 
22* 


252  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

town.  In  its  interior  arrangements,  the  Moravian 
rule  of  dividing  male  and  female  is  still  observed. 
The  organ,  built  by  Tanneberg,  of  Litiz,  was  for- 
merly esteemed  one  of  the  best  in  the  country;  and, 
in  its  day,  has  sent  forth  its  volumes  of  solemn  tones, 
in  the  performance  of  church,  funereal,  and  festal 
services.  Within  the  vestry-room  may  be  seen  a 
small  gallery  of  portraits  by  Haidt,  representing  the 
fathers  of  the  church,  missionaries,  and  all  who  were 
identified  with  the  early  history  of  the  Brethren. 
These  paintings  now  bear  an  antique  look,  the  artist 
having  lived  more  than  a  century  ago.  He  was  of 
Dutch  origin,  and  many  of  his  productions  are 
carefully  preserved  in  Bethlehem,  Nazareth,  and 
Litiz.  In  addition  to  the  various  portraits  thus 
handed  down  to  us,  we  also  have  from  his  pencil  a 
number  of  sacred  historical  paintings,  which  may  be 
seen  in  the  churches  of  Bethlehem  and  Nazareth. 
Haidt,  during  the  time  he  flourished,  was,  like  most 
of  the  laity,  employed  in  clerical  duties. 

The  old  fire-engine,  claimed  to  be  one  of  the  first 
of  its  kind  imported  into  this  country,  was  brought 
from  London  in  1762,  and  is  preserved  as  a  curious 
relic.  The  original  water-works,  perhaps  the  first 
attempt  to  propel  water  by  its  own  agency,  having 
undergone  some  renovation,  are  still  in  operation, 
and  faithfully  perform  their  old  duty  of  furnishing 
with  an  adequate  supply  the  reservoir  at  the  summit 
of  the  town. 

Of  the  numerous  individuals  and  personages  who, 


BETHLEHEM.  253 

from  time  to  time,  presented  themselves  to  the  visi- 
tor, and  excited  his  esteem  and  admiration,  nearly  all 
have  passed  away.  Among  the  amusing  and  oblig- 
ing characters  who  figured  in  the  earlier  part  of 
the  century,  was  old  Father  Thomas,  whose  worth 
and  peculiarities  will  be  held  in  remembrance  by  the 
class  of  visitors  who  were  his  cotemporaries.  At  a 
later  period,  Doctor  Steckel  and  Doctor  Green  be- 
came well  known  as  the  cicerones,  by  right  of  ap- 
pointment, and  provided  considerable  entertainment, 
in  the  continual  fund  of  humor  and  anecdote  which 
they  dispensed  to  the  guests,  whom  they  were 
charged  to  accompany  around  the  village,  through 
the  school,  the  choir  houses,  church,  cemetery,  and 
along  the  banks  of  the  Lehigh.  The  former  of  these 
employees  reached  a  great  age,  and  up  to  a  very 
advanced  period  performed  the  duties  of  his  office; 
but,  as  the  years  of  his  life  accumulated,  he  was 
no  longer  able  to  discharge  them,  neither  did  he 
find  in  the  new  generations  which  followed  in  the 
footsteps  of  previous  ones,  as  pilgrims  to  Bethlehem, 
the  same  cordial  reception  which  had  been  awarded 
him.  Doctor  Green,  rubicund  in  face,  and  cold 
water  in  principle,  was  for  a  long  time  believed  by 
many  to  be  an  example  of  theory  versus  practice. 
True  it  is,  that  he  originated  the  temperance  and  hy- 
dropathic doctrines,  long  before  they  had  become 
popular  in  this  country,  but  whether  he  himself  was 
as  abstemious  as  he  claimed,  remains  among  those 
problems  which  it  "  concerneth  no  man"  to  discuss. 


254  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

His  fame  as  a  cicerone,  dispensing  fun  and  anecdote, 
and  exaggeration  of  many  objects  and  institutions 
of  Bethlehem,  as  he  presented  them  to  the  view  of 
the  strolling  visitor,  who  was  often  rather  an  in- 
truder than  an  appreciative  guest,  will  be  duly  re- 
corded among  the  minor  recollections  of  the  past, 
and  as  belonging  to  those  portions  of  the  Moravian 
picture  presented  on  its  mere  surface. 

Within  later  years  a  new  cemetery  has  been 
laid  out  in  that  part  of  the  town  occupying  the 
upper  declivity  of  Nisky  Hill.  The  grounds  of 
Nisky  Hill  now  form  a  pleasant  resort,  and  from 
the  winding  paths  along  the  romantic  and  precipi- 
tous bluff,  we  look  down  on  the  Lehigh,  and  on  the 
mountains  beyond,  and  all  the  intervening  landscape. 
Its  walks  are  among  the  most  pleasant  that  Bethle- 
hem affords,  being  more  secluded  from  the  associa- 
tions and  annoyances  of  business  life  than  the  more 
trite  and  well-known  localities  on  the  "Island"  and 
along  the  Lehigh.  It  is  among  the  greatest  attrac- 
tions of  Nisky  Hill  that  art  has  done  so  little,  and 
nature  so  much  for  it;  and  while  she  is  left  in 
undisturbed  possession,  the  trees  suffered  to  grow 
into  tottering  age,  the  rocks  to  rest  unmolested  in 
their  primitive  beds,  decked  with  moss  and  trailing 
ivy,  the  old  and  young  will  repair  here  for  the  oppo- 
site purposes  of  meditation  and  pleasure. 

In  a  sequestered  lane,  passing  up  from  the  church, 
there  stands  a  quiet  and  well-shaded  cottage,  seem- 
ingly shut  out  from  the  gay  and  busy  portion  of  the 


BETHLEHEM.  255 

town,  so  as  to  excite  the  attention  of  him  who  passes 
along  bj  the  recluseness  of  its  aspect  and  the  rural 
feeling  that  reigns  around.  Here  lived  for  many 
years  the  venerable  Heckewelder,1  elaborating  in  this 
retirement  his  work  on  Indian  life,  manners,  and 
traditions;  and  after  a  career  of  Christian  useful- 
ness, devotion,  and  self-sacrifice,  here  he  ended  his 
days,  and  was  interred  within  the  cemetery  we  first 
visited.  Upon  his  grave  are  cast  the  shadows  of  the 
same  trees  that  overhang  those  of  the  Indians  not 
far  off.  While  the  mortal  remains  of  the  red  men 
and  their  friend  repose  beneath  the  turf,  may  their 
spirits  find  happiness  in  a  realm  unknown  to  us ! 

The  female  boarding-school  was  opened  to  the 
public  in  1786,  and  though  of  more  recent  founda- 
tion than  the  boys'  school  at  Nazareth,  has  had 
under  its  care  and  parental  training  a  very  large  num- 
ber of  young  ladies  from  all  parts  of  the  Union,  as 
well  as  from  the  West  Indies.  It  has  been  the 
means  of  attracting  many  persons  to  Bethlehem,  inde- 
pendent of  those  who  come  as  casual  visitors,  and  as 
both  classes  of  guests  have  increased,  the  several 
inns  have  so  enlarged  their  dimensions  as  to  be- 
come no  longer  recognizable.  During  a  long  and 
successful  period  of  its  history,  this  school  has 
established  such  a  firm  hold  upon  the  affections  of 
its  pupils,  that  in  their  retrospect  of  life  it  has  be- 


1  His  daughter  now  resides  in  the  Sisters'  House.    She  was 
the  first  white  woman  born  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Ohio. 


256  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

come  an  endearing  point.  On  the  female  mind,  the 
influence  of  that  culture,  which  has  its  scat  in  our 
schools,  has  been  more  visible  than  on  the  male 
youth,  by  the  adornment  it  has  imparted  to  the  moral 
character,  and  that  tone  of  quiet  demeanor  springing 
out  of  a  three  years'  education  there. 

What  the  observances  of  a  Christian  culture  are, 
and  how  they  operate  upon  the  formation  of  cha- 
racter, and  in  building  up  in  their  finest  symmetrical 
proportions  the  true  man  or  the  true  woman,  is 
sufficiently  explained  under  the  heads  of  Education 
and  Schools,  and  the  Moravian  Cultus. 

In  our  system  it  is  not  assumed  that  merely  those 
accomplishments  should  be  taught  which  are  calcu- 
lated to  adorn  the  drawing-room,  as  in  most  instances 
these  result  more  from  great  conversational  powers 
and  vivacity  of  temperament  than  from  solid  educa- 
tion. It  is  there  that  both  man  and  woman  are  per- 
formers on  the  great  stage  of  artificial  life,  where  the 
heart  is  glossed  over  by  the  fictions  of  society,  where 
it  delivers  its  poetry  by  an  assumed  medium,  where 
nature  is  only  admired  in  pictures,  and  where  words 
and  language  originate  emotion,  instead  of  allowing 
it  to  speak  through  them.  But  in  rearing  the  female 
under  Moravian  tutelage,  all  true  womanly  suscepti- 
bilities, wherever  they  exist,  are  brought  forth  and 
cultivated,  and  on  her  return  home,  the  girl  who 
has  been  a  resident  of  these  schools  for  several 
well-spent  years,  gives  evidence  of  this  cultivation 
in  the  modesty  and  amenity  of  deportment  which 


BETHLEHEM.  257 

have  ever  distinguished  the  Moravian  eleve  of  either 
sex.  It  is  here  presupposed,  however,  that  the  sub- 
ject of  discipline  has  been  a  practicable  and  pliant 
one,  and  in  all  respects  adapted  to  the  application  of 
a  system  which  has  never  yet  found  its  equal. 

In  the  programme  of  instruction  some  modifica- 
tions have  been  made ;  the  former  simple  plan  of  a 
series  of  plain  studies  surrendering  to  the  growing 
wants  of  a  public,  on  whom  its  support  must  neces- 
sarily depend.  Yet,  even  with  these  innovations,  the 
excellence  of  the  educational  principle  has  in  no 
material  degree  deteriorated,  and  we  may  regard  it 
as  being  applied  to  a  new  people  in  a  later  time,  and 
to  a  country  whose  progress  shows  its  new  phases 
with  every  decade. 

Music,  as  far  as  the  faculty  of  a  young  girl 
reaches,  has  ever  been  assiduously  taught,  and  when 
taught  in  its  purer  forms  of  deep  and  classic  com- 
position, has  contributed  its  resistless  influence  to 
the  formation  of  soul;  but  where  a  departure  from 
this  classic  taste  is  allowed  to  prevail,  the  gene- 
ral results  of  music  on  the  expanding  mind  must 
be  lost.  As  a  portion  of  female  education  in  its 
true  sense,  without  reference  to  bare  accomplish- 
ment, music  must  be  regarded  as  of  high  import, 
and,  with  reference  to  the  female,  this  ground  has 
always  been  taken  by  the  Moravian  educator.  It 
seems  to  manifest  itself  in  the  tenderness  and  de- 
sires of  the  age,  as  well  as  the  country  we  live  in, 
that  a  high  intellectual  standard  should   form  the 


258  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

acme  of  all  education ;  but  if  my  readers  will  have 
duly  weighed  the  scope  of  the  system  of  which  I 
have  attempted  an  exposition,  they  will  find  that 
high  intellectual  cultivation  without  emotion,  and 
that  peculiar  education  which  is  its  product,  will 
never  tend  to  the  happiness  of  life. 

Within  recent  years,  the  Bethlehem  School  has 
made  some  creditable  displays  of  musical  proficiency 
in  the  performance  of  such  productions  as  the  "  Crea- 
tion," the  "Glocke,"  Rossini's  "  Stabat  Mater," 
Mendelsohn's  "  Elijah,"  and  other  works  of  the 
immortal  masters.  In  the  vocal  execution  of  this 
music,  the  pupils  certainly  evince  no  small  degree  of 
advancement,  and  while  the  mind  becomes  refined 
by  such  pure  culture  as  is  characteristic  of  these 
works,  it  gains  equally  in  the  improvement  such 
musical  practice  imparts. 

It  speaks  in  tones  of  commendation  of  our  female 
schools,  to  remark,  that  when  the  girls  of  a  past 
century  grew  up  they  sent  their  daughters  hither, 
and  when  those  in  their  turn  departed  to  their 
homes,  and  reached  the  age  and  assumed  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  the  worthy  matron,  with  the  glorious 
jewels  of  wedded  life  around  them,  these,  too,  were 
sent  to  the  cherished  Bethlehem  to  imbibe  that 
which,  in  the  innocence  of  girlhood,  the  mother  and 
grandmother  had  enjoyed. 

In  former  days,  life  in  the  school  at  Bethlehem 
was  more  recluse  than  it  now  is,  for  its  whole  tenor 
partook  of  the  influences  of  the  retired  Moravian 


BETHLEHEM.  259 

village,  and  was  less  molested  by  the  gay  spec- 
tacle witnessed  during  the  summer  months.  The 
tutoress  herself  was  at  that  time  a  prim  Sister,  her 
very  attire  bespeaking  her  calling  and  her  destiny. 
In  that  undisturbed  mode  of  life  and  education,  and 
the  absence  of  all  the  attractions  of  listless  amuse- 
ment and  fashion,  the  results  of  Moravian  culture 
were  more  distinctly  visible  than  they  now  are,  and, 
as  it  is  my  office  to  chronicle  the  past,  rather  than 
to  panegyrize  the  present,  I  cannot  refrain  from 
wishing  that  that  part  might  be  restored.  As 
the  picture  of  that  day,  when  the  genuine  type  of 
the  Moravian  Sister  is  held  up  to  view,  becpmes 
more  dim,  its  poetic  effect  upon  us  increases,  and, 
like  all  things  appertaining  to  the  imagination, 
mellows  in  the  distance. 

The  Sisters'  and  Widows'  Houses  still  preserve 
their  primitive  interior  arrangements,  and  we  find 
the  oaken  staircases,  the  flagged  pavements,  the 
small  windows,  and  the  large  dwelling-rooms  in  the 
former,  which  were  once  occupied  by  companies  of 
four  Sisters,  each  sitting  in  her  allotted  corner. 
The  low  ceilings  of  the  Widows'  House,  the  broad 
oaken  stairs,  and  the  solid  masonry  of  the  walls,  all 
speak  of  the  past,  when  architecture  looked  forward 
to  endurance  and  strength,  rather  than,  as  now,  to 
beauty  and  the  mere  purposes  of  the  day. 

Bethlehem  has  been  sought  by  the  superannuated 
as  the  resting-place  and  the  solace  of  declining  life. 
It  is  the  "Mecca"  to  which  all  those  who  have  been 

23 


260  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

employed  in  the  service  of  the  Moravian  cause,  either 
as  pastors  at  home  or  missionaries  abroad,  direct 
their  steps.  In  its  cemetery  may  be  found  the 
names  of  many  who  had  fulfilled  the  duties  of 
the  Moravian  clergyman's  life,  labored  in  a  long 
and  arduous  campaign  of  evangelical  service,  toiled 
amid  the  needs  of  poverty  and  the  passions  of  hu- 
manity, living  on  the  scanty  pittance  of  many  of 
our  small  village  congregations,  then  risen  to  posts 
of  comparative  eminence  in  their  sphere,  and,  finally, 
received  an  earthly  reward  by  being  allowed  their 
humble  portion  and  the  enjoyment  of  quiet,  sweet- 
ened by  social  happiness,  in  this  place.  This  reunion 
of  the  old  always  seemed  to  strengthen  the  bonds  of 
their  attachment  to  Bethlehem,  and  even  constituted 
a  society  within  itself.  The  circumstances  of  their 
residing  here  in  such  numbers  gave  a  tone  to  the 
moral  and  religious  character  of  the  place,  and  more 
especially  during  its  isolated  condition,  when  it  was 
an  exclusive  community.  Since  the  law  of  exclusion 
has  been  laid  aside,  and  a  promiscuous  population 
has  been  invited  to  come  and  dwell  here,  society  has 
become  more  diluted,  and  the  retired  missionary  is 
no  longer  a  prominent  object. 

Bethlehem  has  been  visited  by  large  numbers  of 
our  citizens,  as  well  as  by  many  foreigners  of  distinc- 
tion, and  has  been  the  abiding-place  of  the  invalid, 
or  of  those  who  desire  tranquil  leisure  during  the 
warm  summer  and  the  autumnal  months.  The  musi- 
cal virtuoso  frequently  comes  hither  to  hear  and  be 


BETHLEHEM.  261 

heard,  and  finds  the  society  around  him,  particularly 
if  he  be  a  German,  congenial  and  appreciative. 
Standing  on  the  borders  of  a  picturesque  and  ro- 
mantic stream,  in  the  midst  of  a  captivating  land- 
scape, confronted  by  mountains,  and  with  a  salu- 
brious air  coming  down  the  long  valley  that 
stretches  to  the  west,  it  charms  alike  the  visitor  and 
the  resident.  A  mixed  society  has  thus  sprung 
up,  which  no  longer  leaves  the  Moravian  so  dis- 
tinctly marked  as  before,  nor  is  the  town  as  striking 
and  sedate  in  aspect.  Many  of  the  old  land-marks, 
however,  together  with  the  remnants  of  social  life 
which  the  memory  delights  to  dwell  upon,  are 
yet  to  be  traced,  and  tell  us  that  something  still  re- 
mains of  the  old  Moravian  town.  Scarcely  a  year 
elapses  without  a  number  of  the  retired  apostles 
of  the  church,  or  some  aged  inhabitant  who  had 
grown  up  and  was  nurtured  in  a  fondness  for  the 
beautiful  simplicity  of  the  older  school,  passing  from 
off  the  scene.  All  such,  while  they  live,  cling  to  the 
institutions  in  which  they  were  cradled,  and  are  loath 
to  exchange  the  associations  of  German  life,  its 
warmth  and  its  festivities,  for  the.  modern  style  of 
American  modes  and  practices.  But  as  this  generation 
passes  away,  a  new  stage  of  men  and  things  super- 
venes, receiving  its  impress  from  "young  America," 
and  looking  forward  to  a  world  of  hopes,  based  upon 
the  materialism  and  progress  of  the  age  in  which  we 
figure.  The  spiritual  life  of  Moravianism,  founding 
its  hopes  and  aspirations  in  a  world  of  future  per- 


2G2     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

fection,  and  its  rewards  not  in  the  dross  of  life,  but  in 
the  jeweled  crown  of  eternity,  is  fast  merging  into 
American  forms  of  thought  and  action,  and  casting 
off  its  German  parentage  and  relationship.  Yet, 
notwithstanding  this  admixture  of  a  modern  and 
national  element,  the  summer  months  may  be  plea- 
santly whiled  away  in  and  around  Bethlehem,  for 
the  seductions  of  nature  here  are  great,  either  in  the 
drive  to  Allentown,  to  "  Bauer's  Rock,"  a  craggy 
eminence  to  the  southwest,  upon  the  loftiest  part  of 
the  Lehigh  range,  and  commanding  a  wide-extended 
view,  along  the  southern  banks  of  the  stream,  to- 
ward Hellertown,  or  Freemansburg,  or  northwardly 
toward  Bath  or  Nazareth.  This  whole  region  is  so 
fertile  and  romantic,  and,  in  its  champaign  aspects,  so 
picturesque,  that  the  seeker  of  rural  enjoyment  can 
find  abundant  solace  in  all  he  sees  in  these  precincts, 
and  in  the  excursions  that  are  within  range. 

Notwithstanding  the  innovations  of  the  mechani- 
cal arts  and  of  commerce  upon  the  poetical  beauties 
of  the  Lehigh,  whose  banks  have  been  trodden,  time 
after  time,  by  the  serious  and  the  gay,  nature  is 
beautiful  yet,  and  sufficient  remains  of  the  native 
forest  trees,  with  the  clear  sparkling  waters  of  the 
old  Indian  stream  beneath  them,  to  gladden  the  ima- 
gination and  soothe  the  heart  of  the  stricken  in 
years,  as  he  once  more  seeks  his  wonted  resting- 
place. 

A  commercial  age  is  apt  to  lay  aside  the  instincts 
that  direct  themselves  to  the  pure  and  the  beautiful 


BETHLEHEM.  263 

in  nature,  and  those  equally  chaste  affections  which 
linger  among  the  decaying  emblems  and  images  of 
the  past, — exchanging  them  for  the  gilded  toys  of  a 
later  school  of  taste  and  design,  in  which  a  higher 
spirituality  is  but  feebly  developed.  Wherever  this 
latter  quality  clings  to  the  events  and  structures 
of  the  olden  time,  I  would  fain  see  its  remembrance 
preserved  and  held  sacred,  and  some  monumental 
tribute  bestowed  upon  it  as  its  only  and  its  highest 
temporal  recompense. 


23* 


XIV. 
MUSIC   AT  BETHLEHEM  AND   NAZARETH. 

After  offering  the  sketch  of  the  interview  with 
the  Nantikok  and  Shawano  Indians  within  the  "  Little 
Hall,"  as  it  was  then  called,  I  will  introduce  the 
reader  into  the  same  apartment  under  a  different 
appropriation.  This  venerable  chapel  occupies  the 
upper  portion  of  the  building  adjoining  the  Sis- 
ters' House,  the  entrance  to  which  is  found  by  as- 
cending a  small  flight  of  wooden  steps,  and  thence 
by  an  ancient  and  well-worn  staircase  with  its  oaken 
balustrade. 

Here  music  in  its  higher  forms  might  often  have 
been  heard.  To  the  select  auditory  that  delighted 
to  gather  here,  concerts  were  given  by  an  orchestra 
of  amateur  musicians,  aided  by  the  voices  of  the 
Sisters,  who  joined  in  the  Euterpean  relaxation,  and 
in  which  all  ages  united,  from  the  girl  of  sixteen  to 
the  matron,  whose  voice  remained  vigorous  until  the 
frame  decayed. 

In  these  evening  concerts  the  well-filled  chapel 
generally  testified  an  appreciative  audience,  where 
all  came  to  listen,  enjoy,  and  discuss  the  merits  of 
(264) 


MUSIC  AT  BETHLEHEM  AND  NAZARETH.   265 

the  performance,  at  the  close  of  which  no  applause 
was  ever  offered,  for  the  general  feeling  of  quiet 
satisfaction  that  prevailed  was  understood,  and  was  of 
itself  a  sufficient  guaranty  for  the  required  appro- 
bation. In  these  pleasant  soirees  the  entertainment 
was  always  of  a  genial  character,  and  nothing  offen- 
sive to  good  taste  was  ever  admitted  to  mar  the 
sanctity  of  the  old  chapel. 

Of  the  veteran  virtuosi  who  still  dwell  in  Bethle- 
hem, it  is  gratifying  to  find  many  who,  year  after 
year,  repaired  to  that  old  music  hall,  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  present  century,  and  kept  alive,  by  their 
devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  divine  art,  the  taste  of 
the  community  for  the  best  works  of  the  tone- 
masters.  Most  of  these  amateurs  were  engaged 
in  the  ordinary  avocations  of  an  industrious  life, 
and  many  left  their  work-benches,  at  the  close  of 
day.  to  take  up  in  the  evening  the  violin,  the  'cello, 
the  flute,  or  the  contra -bass.  A  professed  mu- 
sician was  seldom  seen  here,  except  when  giving  an 
exhibition  for  his  personal  benefit.  This  love  of 
music  was  inherent  in  the  Moravian,  and  was,  along 
with  the  whole  system  of  religious  culture,  introduced 
from  Europe. 

Although  the  chapel  was  the  scene  of  regular 
evening  entertainments,  given  by  the  Philharmonic 
Association,  generally  throughout  the  winter  and 
sometimes  in  the  summer  months,  during  an  influx 
of  visitors,  the  most  charming  of  them  all  was  that 
on    the    anniversary    of    Whitmonday,    called    the 


266  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

Musical  Festival.  Upon  entering  the  Little  Hall, 
we  beheld  the  joyous  evergreen,  woven  into  the 
accustomed  wreath,  with  which  the  walls  were  taste- 
fully draped.  Grunewald,  the  artist,  lent  his  aid 
to  animate  the  occasion,  by  furnishing  pictorial 
images  of  Apollo,  and  his  votaries  Beethoven  and 
Mozart.  This  combination  of  the  sister  arts,  united 
with  the  services  of  the  ladies,  who  formed  the 
wreaths  and  garlands  and  fashioned  the  nosegays 
of  the  early  summer  flowers,  lent  to  the  scene 
an  air  of  poetical  interest  and  naive  enjoyment. 
The  auditory  of  an  earlier  day  looked  to  musical 
performances  as  a  portion  of  life's  sustenance,  and 
combined  them  with  the  pastimes  and  vacant  hours 
that  found  their  way  among  the  sterner  duties  of  a 
commonplace  reality.  These  simple  decorations, 
the  truest  emblems  of  the  spirit  and  design  of  the 
Festival,  suggested  at  a  period  of  the  year  when 
nature  begins  to  expand  to  both  eye  and  ear,  ap- 
pealed with  wondrous  effect,  to  the  annual  guest,  of 
the  welcome  musical  banquet. 

This  Festival  had  become  of  such  old  standing, 
that  it  was  regarded  as  a  permanent  institution,  and 
if  aught  transpired  to  hinder  its  celebration,  a  cloud 
of  disappointment  seemed  to  cast  its  shadows  over 
the  public  mind.  The  entertainment  lasted  the  whole 
day,  and  to  the  chronicler  of  medieval  Bethlehem, 
it  forms  a  bright  point  to  look  back  upon.  In  addi- 
tion to  a  well-selected  programme,  an  oratorio  was 
usually  presented  to  the  dilettanti,  and  among  all 


MUSIC  AT   BETHLEHEM   AND   NAZARETH.      267 

these  compositions  the  selections  from  Haydn  and 
Mozart  were  ever  the  favorites.  The  virtuosi  of 
Bethlehem  claim  the  honor  of  having  first  introduced 
to  the  notice  of  an  American  public  Haydn's  "  Crea- 
tion," and,  although  it  made  its  first  appearance  in 
Philadelphia,  the  score  was  furnished  by  them  to 
Mr.  Hupfeldt,  who  succeeded  in  bringing  it  out 
before  a  Philadelphia  audience. 

The  merit  of  having  transplanted  this  production 
of  Haydn  from  Germany  into  America  was  no  small 
one,  as  it  is  probably  the  most  chaste  work  of  vocal 
melody  the  tone-master  has  ever  produced,  and  ap- 
peals by  its  purity  of  thought  and  its  idyllic  gentle- 
ness to  the  sense  of  our  common  humanity.  Haydn, 
indeed,  composed  for  all  countries  and  all  ages,  and 
his  melody  never  fades  from  the  musical  vision ; 
hence  his  master-piece  was  warmly  studied  among 
us,  and  his  beauties  were  appreciated,  alone  at  the 
piano,  in  the  church  choral  music,  or  in  the  public 
concert. 

A  venerable  and  esteemed  citizen  of  Bethlehem  long 
continued  to  be  the  regular  performer  of  Adam,  in  the 
duet  of  Adam  and  Eve,  while  the  latter  character  was 
usually  personified  by  a  young  maiden.  The  youth- 
ful Eve  never  flourished  long  upon  the  musical  stage, 
for  as  she  ripened  into  womanhood  the  common 
destiny  of  life  stole  her  away,  giving  place  to 
another,  and  she  again  in  her  turn  to  yet  another. 
Many,  therefore,  were  the  maidens,  who,  in  their 
short-lived  career  of  the  Moravian  prima  donna  of 


268  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

the  "Little  Hall,"  sung  Eve,  yet  Weiss  outlived  them 
all ;  and  it  is  but  recently  we  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  him  stand  up  and  perform  his  part,  with 
his  deep  sonorous  voice  and  well-studied  delivery, 
such  as  he  was  ever  wont  to  display  in  the  execution 
of  parts  appropriated  to  him.  Since  its  first  intro- 
duction, which  was  thirty-three  years  ago,  the  public 
have  been  favored  with  this  work  of  Haydn  nearly 
every  year,  and  there  is  no  portion  of  its  popular 
choruses  that  is  not  familiar  to  all  who  have  attended 
the  Bethlehem  concerts  of  secular  and  sacred  music. 
Other  oratorios  have  met  with  similar  success, 
and  were  for  a  long  time  diligently  rehearsed  by  the 
Philharmonic  Association.  Among  these  may  be 
named  the  "  Seasons,"  by  Haydn,  a  work  wherein 
the  pastoral  conceptions  of  the  composer  speak 
through  the  same  language  of  tone  that  gives  itself 
utterance  in  the  rural  imagery  of  the  "Creation," 
and  among  many  was  as  much  cherished  as  the 
"Creation"  itself.  Aside  of  this,  may  be  named 
Schiller's  "  Glocke,"  performed  in  German,  and  set 
to  music  by  Romberg.  In  the  "  Glocke"  we  find 
that  rare  excellence  of  the  most  exquisite  and 
moral  poetry  wedded  to  choice  melody.  These 
merits  contributed  to  make  it  an  old  favorite,  as 
the  poem  is  one  of  the  classic  productions  of  the 
German  anthology,  and  stands  almost  unrivaled 
for  its  sincerity  and  pathos.  To  these  may  be 
added  the  "  Seven  Sleepers,"  and  numerous  other 
minor   selections  from  Mendelsohn,  Mozart,  Beet- 


MUSIC   AT    BETHLEHEM   AND    NAZARETH.      269 

hoven,  Rossini,  and  others  of  the  German  and 
Italian  schools. 

Occasionally,  a  musical  celebrity  would  stray 
hither,  to  hear  and  be  heard ;  the  atmosphere  around 
him  was  musical,  and  the  inducements  to  while  away 
a  month  irresistible.  Of  such  the  "Bavarian  Min- 
strels," whom  I  have  noticed  in  the  preceding  sketch, 
will  long  be  remembered,  as  their  vocal  perform- 
ances were  the  inspiration  of  a  perfect  harmony  of 
feeling,  and  their  skillful  expression  displayed  a 
mastery  in  the  art  of  tone.  At  a  later  period, 
Knoop's  achievements  on  the  violincello  left  indeli- 
ble impressions  behind,  and  no  one  either  before 
or  after  him  could  deliver  such  exquisite  combi- 
nation of  tone-thought  on  that  most  expressive  of 
all  instruments. 

In  the  chapel  of  Nazareth  Hall,  the  teachers  and 
citizens  were  wont  to  assemble  in  the  evenings,  and 
rehearse  many  of  the  symphonies  of  Haydn  and 
other  composers,  together  with  an  excellent  pro- 
gramme of  chamber  music,  in  trios,  quartettes  and 
quintettes,  and  when  engaged  in  the  symphony,  they 
employed  as  full  an  orchestra  as  they  could  muster. 
Each  virtuoso,  on  his  own  favorite  instrument,  from 
the  violincello  to  the  kettle-drum,  gave  his  whole  soul 
to  the  subject,  and  if  the  performers,  as  a  tout-en- 
semble, did  not  arrive  at  the  proficiency  of  professed 
artists,  they  at  least  displayed  the  feeling,  which  is 
one  of  the  first  requirements  of  music,  and  often 
redeems  the  deficiencies  of  skill. 


270  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

A  favorite  of  these  genial  Haydn  symphonies  was 
the  "Farewell,"  which  was  signalized  by  the  suc- 
cessive disappearance  of  the  lights.  One  performer 
after  another,  each  as  he  closed  his  part,  succes- 
sively extinguished  his  taper,  the  music  grew  fainter, 
the  sounds  fell  gradually  into  a  pensive  andante, 
another  taper  was  extinguished,  until  the  last  sur- 
vivor of  that  gay  symphony  was  left  alone,  playing 
in  his  solitary  position  ;  and  as  the  notes  of  his  violin 
melted  insensibly  into  feebler  tones,  and  died  away, 
he  seemed,  in  extinguishing  his  own  taper,  to  close 
the  scene,  and  to  drop  the  curtain  on  some  fine 
dramatic  act. 

As  regards  the  other  Moravian  villages,  music 
was  industriously  studied,  although  concert  and 
chamber  music  were  more  successful  in  Bethlehem 
and  Nazareth  than  elsewhere,  for  here  there  was  a 
constant  accession  of  proficients  from  Europe,  who 
kept  the  flame  alive,  as  the  German  Moravian 
student  was,  with  rare  exception,  well  trained  in 
the  art.  Within  recent  years,  as  previously  ob- 
served, the  female  Boarding-school  at  Bethlehem 
has  taken  up  the  cause  of  vocal  music,  performing 
the  works  of  Haydn,  Romberg,  Mendelsohn,  Ros- 
sini, and  even  Beethoven,  in  a  very  creditable  style 
of  execution  and  expression. 

On  the  evening  previous  to  the  "  Public  Exhibi- 
tion," in  June,  the  large  church  is  used  for  an  enter- 
tainment, being  lighted  with  gas,  in  modern  contract 
with  the  obscure  candles  of  the  old  chapel.     An 


ample  stage,  adorned  with  arches  of  evergreen  fes- 
toons, is  thrown  up,  sufficient  for  the  accommodation 
of  nearly  two  hundred  young  ladies  and  a  few  gentle- 
men, who  represent  the  bass  and  tenor  parts.  Throw- 
ing aside  the  primness  of  a  former  time,  the  girls 
are  attired  in  the  costume  of  the  day,  and  the 
effect  upon  the  large  audience  that  sit  before  them 
is  highly  pleasing,  as,  in  a  glorious  chorus  of  the 
"Creation,"  they  all  rise  up  beneath  a  flood  of  light 
that  is  shed  upon  them. 

In  speaking  of  music  as  a  past  or  declining  feature 
in  the  Moravian  character  in  America,  the  fact  must 
not  be  overlooked  that  this  remark  applies  only  to 
certain  forms.  The  cultivation  of  the  voice  and  pro- 
ficiency on  the  piano  are  as  great  as  ever,  and  per- 
haps they  are  carried  to  a  higher  degree  of  perfection 
than  hitherto;  it  is  only  in  orchestral  and  chamber 
music  that  we  can  say  that  public  taste  has  arrived 
at  a  turning  point.  As  long  as  the  Philharmonic 
Society  of  Bethlehem  and  the  old  Concert  Hall 
flourished,  and  were  upheld  by  a  kind  of  traditional 
veneration  for  the  music  in  which  every  one  had  been 
reared  from  childhood,  the  German  school  of  compo- 
sition was  rigidly  adhered  to ;  but  now  the  modern 
Italian  school  has  crept  in,  and  receives  that  common 
admiration  for  its  transient  beauty,  which  it  finds  all 
over  the  world,  wherever  man  is  susceptible  of  the 
influence  of  modulated  tone.  Selections  from  it  are 
usually  produced  by  the  Sextette  Club,  or  they  be- 
come familiar  to  the  ears  of  the  piano  pupil,  through 

24 


272  MORAVIAN    LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

the  numerous  popular  musical  publications  that  flood 
the  country. 

The  most  characteristic  of  all  music  among  the  Mo- 
ravians is  that  of  the  trombone,  played  usually  in 
the  open  air,  on  the  belfry,  in  the  graveyard,  at 
the  church-door,  and,  at  New  Year's  eve,  in  the 
orchestra.  Here  the  Moravian  hymn  is  drawn  out 
with  wonderful  expression,  and  in  rendering  its 
harmonies  on  these  pensive  wind  instruments,  we 
catch  all  its  beauties  in  their  fullest  force.  The 
trombones  are  generally  played  in  quartette,  and 
when  the  chorales  are  correctly  executed  by  guiding 
the  crescendo  to  its  proper  point,  and  imparting  to 
the  air  its  finest  shades  of  meaning,  the  out-door  im- 
pressions are  deep  and  abiding.  Many  of  these  well- 
known  chorales  are  very  ancient,  but  their  exquisite 
tone  combinations  never  permit  them  to  tire  upon 
the  cultivated  ear,  the  long  vibratory  notes  blending 
in  beautiful  accord  when  passing  out  of  the  sombre 
instrument.  In  their  musical  history  of  a  past  cen- 
tury the  trombone  has  imparted  solemnity  to  the 
opening  and  close  of  every  anniversary;  the  quar- 
tette, with  their  thrilling  tones,  adding  poetry  to  the 
transactions  of  life,  as  well  as  to  the  religious  cultus. 

The  Sextette  Club,  already  alluded  to,  has  been 
instituted  by  the  young  men  of  Bethlehem,  who  per- 
form on  the  cornet,  and  the  music,  although  of  a  dif- 
ferent school  of  composition  from  that  of  the  trom- 
bone, is  a  great  acquisition  to  out-door  recreation 
and  entertainment.     The  Sextette  not  only  enliven 


MUSIC   AT   BETHLEHEM   AND   NAZARETH.      273 

many  a  public  occasion  with  choice  and  popular 
melodies,  selected  from  the  modern  opera,  but  they 
even  produce,  with  effect,  the  classic  compositions  of 
the  great  masters ;  and  their  instruments,  with  that 
remarkable  ductility  of  sound  that  distinguishes 
them,  adapt  themselves  to  compositions  of  a  solemn 
cast.  On  the  waters  of  the  Lehigh,  or  in  the  street, 
when  the  evening  has  subsided  into  the  deep  quiet  of 
night,  the  Sextette  is  often  heard  and  listened  to 
with  fixed  enjoyment.  Within  the  last  few  years 
the  Sextette  Club  has  added  greatly  to  the  day's 
happiness  of  a  Nazareth  Reunion.  Early  in  the 
morning  a  coach  is  seen  entering  the  town,  filled 
with  the  members  of  the  club,  who  perform  some 
chosen  air  as  they  arrive  at  the  place  where  the 
old  pupils  are  assembled.  They  precede  the  pro- 
cession to  the  Hall,  play  in  the  church  as  intro- 
ductory to  the  address ;  play  at  the  supper  table, 
where  mirth  and  good  humor  run  high  ;  and,  finally, 
crown  the  closing  scene  of  leave-taking  in  the  square 
by  some  stirring  strain  that  softly  dies  away  as  the 
last  of  the  Reunionists  retreat  from  the  scene. 

If  the  cultivation  of  music  has  never  reached  that 
artistic  perfection  of  which  it  is  susceptible,  when 
made  an  engrossing  pursuit,  it  has  been  so  gene- 
rally introduced  into  all  the  movements  of  social 
life  that  its  aim  and  influences  have  been  carried  out 
to  their  fullest  extent.  When  music  has  been  so 
fully  incorporated  with  every  form  of  a  people's  life, 
leading  them  along  by  its  irresistible  power  over  the 


274  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

heart  and  soul,  and  making  them  familiar  with  its 
tone-visions — visions  of  a  far  higher  order  than  all 
the  materialistic  associations  of  earth — we  must  con- 
clude that  it  has  left  some  marked  results  upon  their 
character.  In  the  ordinary  course  of  a  callous  ex- 
istence, tone-thoughts  always  awaken  new  feelings, 
and  by  the  accessory  of  song  or  instrumental  music 
the  most  ordinary  event  becomes  a  matter  of  poesy. 
Thus  we  have  seen  that  the  Birth-day  celebration 
was  often  enlivened  by  a  greeting  from  a  musical 
chorus  ;  a  marriage-feast  was  serenaded  in  the  even- 
ing ;  the  days  of  public  rejoicing  were  ushered  in  by 
sweet  sounds. 

We  have  seen,  too,  in  the  whole  history  of  the  re- 
ligious cultus,  that  music  ever  presided :  it  cheered 
every  festival,  it  held  all  ascetism  at  a  distance,  it 
warmed  the  whole  religious  life,  it  filled  every  ob- 
servance with  spirituality  and  made  every  ritual  a 
matter  of  deep  emotion,  it  attained  that  paramount 
object  of  making  religion  an  enjoyment.  It  would 
be  superfluous  to  offer  a  defence  of  music,  in  its  fra- 
ternity with  a  religious  cultus,  as  the  world  has  never 
yet  seen  a  form  of  Christianity  of  which  the  external 
worship  was  not  combined  with  some  rhythmical 
form  or  musical  demonstration.  A  Christian  cultus 
has  often  appeared  wherein  the  indications  of  a 
musical  emotion  are  scarcely  descernible,  but  even 
among  communities  who  endeavor  to  stifle  this  in- 
stinct of  human  nature  the  elementary  conditions  of 
the  art  are  unconsciously  manifested.      The  very 


MUSIC    AT    BETHLEHEM   AND    NAZARETH.      275 

first  suggestions  that  originate  modulated  melody 
arise  from  the  pulsations  of  the  human  heart,  and 
as  these  pulsations  are  impressible  in  any  individual, 
so  the  primary  musical  element  is  found  in  every 
human  being. 

In  order  to  adapt  music  to  the  necessities  of  real 
life  its  early  study  should  be  regarded  as  an  essen- 
tial of  education,  and  hence  we  have  seen  that  a 
large  portion  of  the  Moravian's  academic  years  were 
occupied  in  the  simple  exercises  of  the  art.  Reared 
from  an  infantile  age  among  the  beautiful  associa- 
tions of  tone,  thoughts  clothed  in  the  language  of 
melody  became  the  companions  of  each  individual's 
private  meditations.  The  motive  of  an  air  is  never 
lost  in  the  memory,  the  sacred  hymn  learned  in 
youth  dies  only  with  the  mind  itself,  and  hence,  as 
a  portion  of  a  religious  cultus,  its  cultivation  should 
never  be  lost  sight  of. 


24: 


XV. 

THE  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISE 

It  might  be  supposed  that  among  a  people  liv- 
ing in  small  communities  of  three  to  five  hundred 
souls,  and  instituting  for  themselves  a  peculiar  life  of 
thought  and  worship,  all  those  forms  of  religious 
and  educational  culture,  at  which  we  have  just 
glanced,  should  have  some  ulterior  and  useful  aims 
to  fulfill,  not  only  in  relation  to  themselves,  but  to 
others  without  the  pale  of  their  society.  As  we 
have  seen  it  become  their  mission,  in  the  maturity 
of  their  history,  to  educate  the  civilized,  so  too  it 
became  equally  important  to  evangelize  the  uncivil- 
ized portions  of  the  earth. 

The  life  of  the  Moravian  at  home,  though  quiet, 
industrious,  and  unpretending,  not  only  exhibited 
good  results  within  itself,  by  its  peculiar  practices 
and  limited  worldly  aspirations,  but  diffused  its  in- 
fluences abroad  in  the  vast  scale  of  its  missionary 
labors.  These  may  be  termed  vast,  when  we  con- 
sider the  small  means,  both  as  to  wealth  and  num- 
bers, of  the  people  who  sent  forth  the  ardent  and 
undaunted  heralds  of  Christian  salvation.  It  may 
(276) 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  277 

be  said  that  one,  as  much  as  the  other,  of  these 
enterprises,  gave  a  certain  share  of  celebrity  to  the 
Moravians,  occupying,  as  they  do,  more  than  a  cen- 
tury and  a  quarter  of  time,  and  having  the  whole 
civilized  and  uncivilized  world  for  their  theatre  of 
action.  In  this  manner,  a  promiscuous  public,  with- 
out reference  to  sect,  have  formed  their  acquaint- 
ance by  supporting  their  schools,  and  thus  mixing 
with  them  and  studying  their  music  and  rituals ; 
while  the  missionary,  extending  his  labors  and  re- 
searches in  fields  never  previously  trodden  or  ven- 
tured upon  by  other  pioneers,  sent  his  modest  fame 
abroad  by  the  singular,  and  apparently  miraculous, 
preservation  he  met  with  in  endeavoring  to  gain  over 
the  aboriginal  of  every  clime  and  of  the  most  aggres- 
sive species  of  humanity. 

By  many  it  is  deemed  a  questionable  philanthropy 
to  leave  the  work  of  Christian  truth  undone  and 
neglected  at  home,  and  carry  the  tidings  it  pro- 
claims into  distant  regions,  where  idolatry  has  so 
firm  a  foothold  as  to  render  man  unimpressible  to 
purely  spiritual  doctrines  and  unsusceptible  of  ab- 
stract ideas  regarding  the  divine  and  the  holy.  Yet 
the  Moravians,  while  they  have  attended  to  this  field 
at  home,  and  to  the  dissemination  of  the  truth,  as 
they  view  it,  among  the  villages  and  the  cities  of 
Europe  arid  America,  independent  of  their  own  con- 
gregations, by  maintaining  a  regular  corps  of  home 
missionaries  have,  at  the  same  time,  always  regarded 
their  special  mission  to  be  the  propagation  of  the 
gospel  among  the  heathen. 


278  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

It  is  the  peculiar  attribute  of  Moravian  Chris- 
tianity to  bring  before  the  mind  the  personality  of 
Christ,  and  to  represent  the  spectacle  of  his  life, 
sufferings,  and  death,  in  those  palpable  forms  that 
render  him  constantly  visible  to  the  infantile  and 
unsophisticated  candidate  for  hope,  peace,  and  sal- 
vation. The  Moravian  lyric  is  replete  with  termi- 
nology, expressive  of  this  personality,  and  so  much 
so,  that  in  the  older  sacred  poetry  of  the  church  the 
tendency  was  rather  overdrawn,  and  the  expressions 
of  the  suffering  Christ  led  to  vague  and  extreme 
meanings,  which  were  only  interpretable  by  the  Mo- 
ravians themselves.  Yet,  under  all  this  symbolism, 
the  ground-work  of  a  beautiful  faith  lay  concealed, 
and  in  appealing  to  the  rude  but  susceptible  heart 
of  the  untamed  man,  the  faith  of  the  cross  was 
educed  in  its  abstract  sense  from  the  visible  repre- 
sentation of  God  in  the  human  form,  and  the  endow- 
ment of  this  same  form  with  all  the  love  and  sym- 
pathies of  man  himself. 

In  the  hymn  that  was  taught  the  Indian,  the  same 
phraseology  was  always  introduced,  and  thus  his  un- 
'tutored  heart  softened  under  the  benign  influence  of 
Moravian  worship.1     In  some  instances,  the  work  of 

1  Of  the  nature  and  reception  of  the  doctrines  taught, 
Loretz  says  :  "  It  is  no  matter  of  surprise  that  the  Brethren 
should  remain  steadfast  in  their  adherence  to  the  funda- 
mental truths  of  Christianity,  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and 
the  knowledge  of  human  conception.  The  Scriptures  teach 
them,  and  experience  among  all  mankind  confirms  them,  and 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  279 

the  missionary  was  abandoned,  after  one  or  more  years 
of  persevering  effort,  but  these  futile  attempts  were 

this  confirmation  has  received  additional  weight  from  the 
wide  intercourse  of  the  Brethren  with  so  many  moral  and 
immoral  classes  of  mankind,  enabling  them  to  discover  the 
great  uniformity  of  the  one  leading  idea  amid  the  greatest 
disparity  of  races. 

"  Civil  institutions,  education,  climate,  and  food,  give  rise 
to  as  great  a  diversity  among  nations  as  that  which  exists 
among  the  individuals  of  a  single  people  ;  yet  it  is  clear  that 
one  character  is  discernible  in  our  whole  race  ;  that  man  has 
been  created  for  one  common  destiny;  that  his  capacity  for 
knowledge  and  emotion,  although  differing  in  degree,  is  uni- 
versal, and  hence,  that  the  declarations  of  Holy  Writ  regard- 
ing the  natural  man  are  truth.  To  exemplify  this,  it  is 
apparent  to  all  men  that  there  is  a  God.  We  have  met  with 
Greenlanders,  in  a  perfect  state  of  nature,  who  had  not  a 
single  word  in  their  language  expressive  of  the  Deity,  but 
after  their  conversion  they  have  acknowledged  that  in  silent, 
thoughtful  hours,  when  they  contemplated  the  sea,  the  moun- 
tains, the  heavens,  and  other  objects  of  creation,  a  mighty 
thought  seized  them  that  all  this  must  be  the  work  of  some 
great  being. 

"  It  is  evident,  too,  that  in  every  man  there  exists  a  con- 
sciousness of  moral  or  immoral  conduct, — whether  this  be  an 
innate  or  an  acquired  conception  is  immaterial. 

"  The  conscience  accuses ;  there  are  thoughts  of  reproof 
and  thoughts  that  justify  us,  and,  under  all  grades  of  intelli- 
gence, there  are  actions  which  are  accompanied  with  the  con- 
viction of  right  and  wrong.  A  moral  feeling  underlies  the 
conviction  that,  after  death,  we  shall  be  rewarded  or  punished 
for  our  actions.  This  same  feeling  is  found  pervading  the 
most  savage  tribes,  instructing  them  that  the  Deity  must  be 
pleased,  let  their  general  knowledge  be  ever  so  circumscribed. 


280     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

mostly  in  climes  very  distant  and  scarcely  accessi- 
ble, and  the  journeying  to  them  extremely  hazard- 
ous and  expensive.  Thus  he  sought  Lapland  in 
1734,  and  the  Samoyedes  in  1737,  and  in  1739, 
had  already  penetrated  Palestine  and  Ethiopia ; 
these,  with  Algiers,  Ceylon,  China,  Persia,  the  East 
Indies,  and  the  mountains  of  the   Caucasus,  are  all 

Sin,  therefore,  lays  its  burden  upon  every  one,  on  the  un- 
civilized as  well  as  the  moral  and  refined. 

"Nearly  all  nations  have  their  sorcerers  or  their  jugglers, 
who  administer  various  forms  of  purification  in  order  to 
cleanse  them  of  moral  evil,  and  appease  their  God.  Others 
have  their  sacrifices  to  conciliate  their  idols  and  render  them 
propitious.  All  this  coincides  with  the  Scripture,  where  it 
dwells  upon  the  corruption  of  man  and  the  necessity  of  a 
reconciliation  with  God. 

"The  more  intimately  we  have  become  acquainted  with 
heathen  nations  the  more  fully  have  we  discovered  that  the 
Greenlander,  the  Negro,  the  Hottentot,  the  Indian,  the  moral 
or  the  immoral  individual,  the  weak  and  the  strong  minded, 
have  all  had  the  same  experience  in  the  work  of  conversion. 

"  Further  evidence  in  favor  of  this  is  seen  in  the  experience 
of  thousands  among  other,  sects,  whatever  may  have  been 
their  nation,  their  caste,  education,  or  capacities ;  they  may 
have  been  scattered  over  various  portions  of  the  earth  and 
dwelt  far  from  each  other,  still,  on  nearer  examination,  it  will 
be  found  that  their  inner  history  was  the  same,  that  under 
the  greatest  diversity  of  temperament,  but  one  common  want 
was  felt,  and  but  one  means  of  assuaging  it  was  found.  And 
thus  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  and  his  apostles  has 
been  established  among  the  Brethren,  and  proved  the  never- 
failing  source  of  consolation  and  of  strength."  [Ratio  Dis- 
ciplined Unit.  Frat.) 


THE   MISSIONARY   ENTERPRISE.  281 

abandoned  mission -grounds,  as  well  as  those  in 
Guinea,  among  the  Calmucks,  in  Abyssinia  and 
Tranquebar.  Although  the  Brethren  were  obliged 
to  relinquish  them,  it  was  not  without  long-con- 
tinued effort,  extending  in  some  places  to  half  a  cen- 
tury, and  among  the  Calmucks  to  eighty  years. 
Their  existing  missions  still  take  in  an  extensive 
range,  and  include  Surinam,  the  Mosquito  coast,  the 
English  and  Danish  West  Indies,  the  Indian  terri- 
tories of  our  great  West,  and  of  Canada,  Labrador, 
and  Greenland.  In  the  eastern  hemisphere  they 
flourish  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Australia,  (which 
has  been  temporarily  relinquished,  but  bids  fair  to 
be  revived,)  and,  at  this  moment,  two  enterprising 
and  undaunted  missionaries  are  exploring  Thibet, 
Mongolia,  and  the  Himalaya  regions. 

The  earliest  mission  was  undertaken  in  1732,  by 
Leonhard  Dober  and  David  Nitschmann,  the  one  a 
potter,  the  other  a  carpenter,  who  proceeded  to  St. 
Thomas,  West  Indies,  and  broke  the  first  ground 
there. 

Although  the  primitive  missionary  conception  in 
the  mind  of  Zinzendorf  had  its  birth  in  the  "Senf- 
korn  Order,"  at  school,  in  common  with  De  Watte- 
ville,  his  first  practical  idea  on  the  subject  appears 
to  have  occurred  to  him  on  a  visit  to  Copenhagen  in 
the  year  previous  to  the  departure  of  the  two  first 
missionaries.  While  studying  there,  he  made  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Royal  Master  of  the  Horse,  the 
Count  of  Laurwig,  whose   attendant  was  a  negro 


282  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

slave  of  the  Danish  West  Indies.  The  Count  con- 
versed with  the  negro,  who  described  the  spiritually 
destitute  condition  of  his  fellow-slaves  in  the  island, 
as  well  as  the  longing  his  own  sister  had  shown 
for  a  knowledge  of  the  true  God.  There,  too, 
he  learned  that  the  Danish  missions  in  Greenland 
were  abandoned,  and  then  became  warmed  with 
the  thought  that  an  extensive  field  lay  open  for 
the  operations  of  the  revived  church  of  the  Bre- 
thren, by  its  engaging  in  the  work  of  missions  to 
those  distant  countries,  the  West  Indies  and  Green- 
land. The  Count  returned  to  Herrnhut,  and  his 
reception  was  signalized  by  the  warmest  demonstra- 
tions of  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  congregation,  who 
went  out  to  meet  him  and  to  congratulate  him  on  his 
safe  arrival.  They  knew  nothing  of  the  new  schemes 
that  had  resulted  from  his  visit  to  Denmark,  and  re- 
ceived with  joy  and  surprise  the  first  suggestions 
made  to  them  by  Zinzendorf.  There  were  many 
ardent  mmds  among  them,  who  embraced  a  pro- 
position to  go  forthwith  to  the  West  Indies,  and 
among  these  were  Leonhard  Dober  and  Tobias  Leo- 
pold ;  and,  on  hearing  the  disclosures  in  regard 
to  the  Greenland  Danish  mission,  Matthias  Stach 
came  forward  and  offered  his  services  in  that 
field. 

A  year  passed  away  before  any  action  was  taken 
on  these  deliberations,  when  Dober,  the  first-named 
individual,  set  out  from  Herrnhut,  choosing  Xitsch- 
mann  for  his  companion,  as  the  latter  had  formed  an 


THE   MISSIONARY   ENTERPRISE.  283 

attachment  to  the  negro  slave  of  Count  Launrig. 
In  the  evening  before  their  departure  on  this  weighty 
errand,  a  meeting  was  held  in  Herrnhut,  in  which 
every  one  singly  bestowed  his  blessing  upon  the  two 
apostles,  in  the  form  of  a  verse ;  and  more  than  one 
hundred  verses  were  thus  sung,  and  then  handed  to 
the  two  devoted  Brethren  as  keepsakes. 

In  the  same  evening  the  Count  conferred  with 
Leonhard  Dober  on  the  duties  and  importance  of  the 
charge  assigned  him,  and  early  in  the  morning,  he 
accompanied  both  as  far  as  Bautzen.  Laying  his 
hand  upon  the  head  of  Dober,  he  imparted  his  bene- 
diction, and  his  instructions  were  embraced  in  the 
comprehensive  command  of  "following  in  all  things 
the  spirit  of  Christ."  He  then  gave  them  each  a 
ducat,  which,  together  with  the  sum  of  three  dollars 
they  each  had  on  starting,  formed  their  entire  outfit. 
Then  proceeding  on  foot  along  the  way  leading 
through  Wernigerode,  Brunswick,  and  Hamburg, 
they  traveled  to  Copenhagen.1 

This  event  was  coeval  with  the  earliest  stage  of 
the  society,  and  a  beginning  having  been  made  in 
St.  Thomas,  the  Moravian  settlements  soon  spread 
throughout  the  Danish  and  English  islands,  where 
they  have  flourished  up  to  the  present  day. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  English  and  Ameri- 
can Brethren,  the  great  body  of  the  missionaries  are 

1  Croeger's  Briidergeschichte. 
25 


284  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

German;  and  as  these  die,  or  retire  from  service, 
their  places  are  replenished  from  the  mother  coun- 
try. In  the  various  islands  the  missionary  life  may 
be  exhibited  in  its  most  engaging  character. 

The  treatment  of  the  colored  race  in  these  tropi- 
cal isles,  and  their  induction  into  the  doctrines,  forms, 
and  observances  of  the  Moravian  worship,  are  cha- 
racterized by  the  same  process  by  "which  all  the  semi- 
civilized  races  are  led  into  it;  but  the  negro  himself, 
regarded  in  a  social  light,  is  considerably  in  advance 
of  the  converted  Indian.  A  strong  feature  of  the 
West  Indian  congregation  is  the  rule,  everywhere 
observed,  of  the  confidential  "Speaking,"  which  is  a 
monthly  custom,  and  at  the  appointed  times  hun- 
dreds are  seen  repairing  to  the  mission  house  for  this 
purpose. 

The  sacraments,  festivals,  and  Christmas  and 
Easter  solemnities,  the  order  of  interments,  are  all 
in  conformity  with  the  customs  of  Herrnhut,  and 
in  every  island  where  Moravianism  has  taken  root, 
the  poor  negro  has  found  a  sympathizing  friend  in 
the  Brethren,  who  would  not  relinquish  this  destiny 
for  any  other  that  is  likely  to  await  them  on  earth. 
The  humble  mission  house  and  its  chapel  often  stand 
upon  picturesque  and  pleasant  locations,  where  the 
beauties  of  the  tropical  landscape  abound.  Climate, 
soil,  and  the  mode  of  tillage,  are  such  as  we  find  be- 
neath a  vertical  sun,  and  life  partakes  of  those  influ- 
ences on  health  and  mind  that  are  peculiar  to  all 
Southern  regions. 


THE   MISSIONARY   ENTERPRISE.  285 

In  the  Danish  islands,  industry  is  essential  to  the 
well-being  of  the  missionary;  but  in  the  English 
islands  he  is  more  exempt  from  manual  labor,  and 
enjoys  a  more  placid  existence. 

Many  places  of  residence  are  interesting  spots, 
and  the  access  to  them  is  across  a  surface  of  coun- 
try that  resembles  a  garden  in  fertility.  The  most 
luxurious  foliage  and  the  most  delicious  fragrance  of 
fruit  and  flowers  assail  the  senses,  and  make  the 
visitor  conscious  of  his  entrance  into  a  land  of  para- 
disaical enjoyment.  The  palm  and  the  cocoanut 
trees  rise  up  in  lofty  magnificence  around,  while 
the  superabundant  fruits  of  the  lemon  and  orange, 
filling  the  air  with  their  aroma,  lie  untasted  on  the 
ground.  The  hedges  are  clothed  in  the  blossom  of 
the  blooming  aloe,  while  the  cabbage-palms  adorn  the 
roadside,  and  lend  their  shadows  to  the  traveler's  re- 
lief. Among  the  rocks  is  seen  growing  the  enormous 
cactus,  and  descending  to  the  sea-shore,  the  ocean 
view  adds  to  the  romantic  interest  of  the  whole  na- 
tural scene.  To  give  a  more  perfect  picture  of  these 
islands,  I  subjoin  the  following  description  of  the 
visit  to  St.  John  by  Breutel  and  Haiiser : — 

"On  landing,  we  discovered  at  a  distance  some 
persons  waiting  for  us;  these  were  the  Brethren 
Schmitz,  Meyer,  and  Ziock.  They  had  been  joined 
by  the  chief  magistrate  of  St.  John,  Mr.  Brahde, 
who  pressed  us  all,  in  the  most  friendly  manner,  to 
breakfast  at  his  house,  situated  near  the  shore. 

"  Having  spent  a  few  hours  at  this  hospitable  man- 


286  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

sion,  we  all  mounted  the  horses,  prepared  for  our 
journey  to  Bethany;  for  on  this  rocky  island  no 
vehicles  are  to  be  met  with. 

"  Our  caravan,  consisting  of  seven  riders  and  seve- 
ral negroes  leading  the  horses  of  the  Sisters  and 
conveying  our  luggage,  had  something  oriental  in  its 
appearance. 

"We  proceeded  pretty  slowly  up  the  mountain,  on 
the  top  of  which,  five  hundred  or  six  hundred  feet 
high,  the  missionary  station  of  Bethany  is  situated. 
It  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  a  more  splendid 
prospect  than  that  on  the  road  over  the  Coral  Moun- 
tains. Here  a  sequestered  vale,  with  a  cool,  inviting 
grove  of  palms;  there  a  neat  plantation,  the  negro- 
houses  of  which  peep  through  the  enormous  leaves 
of  the  Paradise  fig-tree  or  of  the  banana.  Here  a 
herd  of  cattle  feeding  on  luxuriant  pastures ;  there  a 
view  of  the  ocean,  with  numberless  rocks,  surround- 
ing the  island. 

"Sometimes  the  bridle-path  leads  along  the  sum- 
mit of  the  mountain,  so  that  we  looked  down  on  both 
sides,  as  from  the  ridge  of  a  roof,  upon  the  island 
and  the  sea,  and  could  plainly  discover  Tortola  and 
St.  Croix.  Now  and  then  we  met  with  a  breadfruit- 
tree  or  a  wild  fig-tree,  whose  airy  roots  hanging  down 
from  its  branches  like  ropes  and  thread,  festooned 
themselves  on  the  ground. 

"Farther  on,  as  we  ascended  higher,  the  road  was 
sometimes  covered  over  like  an  arbor,  and  from  the 


THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  287 

dark-green  foliage  descended  the  amaranthine,  with 
its  red  bell-shaped  flowers,  like  a  garland.  The  air 
on  the  top  of  the  mountains  is  always  pleasantly 
cool,  owing  to  the  sea-breezes.  The  forests  on  every 
side  swell  out  in  luxuriant  grandeur,  but  they  are 
not  rendered  vocal,  as  in  our  native  country,  by  the 
warbling  of  birds;  for  the  small  number  of  the  fea- 
thered tribe  found  here  are  totally  destitute  of  this 
pleasing  gift  of  nature." 

In  these  regions  a  perpetual  summer  reigns,  and 
although  the  chilliness  of  a  West  Indian  winter  is 
felt,  still  nature  continues  to  hold  her  verdure,  and 
the  flowers  to  bloom.  To  this  land  of  the  sun  the 
early  missionary  of  1732  was  tempted  to  go,  to 
seek  out  the  forlorn  negro,  whose  nature,  though 
not  as  free  and  savage  as  the  aboriginal,  had  never 
yet  been  illumined  by  any  ray  of  Divine  light. 

Among  this  dark  race  the  efforts  of  the  Mora- 
vians were  more  successful  than  among  any  other 
people,  and  in  all  the  islands  where  the  earliest  mis- 
sions were  established  during  the  last  century,  they 
now  count  their  numbers  by  tens  of  thousands.1 

Early  in  the  year  1733,  three  missionaries,  Mat- 
thias and  Christian  Stach,  and  Christian  David,  set 
out  for  Greenland,  and  under  the  greatest  difficulties 

1  The  total  number  of  Moravian  missions  throughout  the 
globe,  in  1857,  was  seventy,  superintended  by  three  hundred 
missionaries.  The  whole  number  of  persons  under  instruc- 
tion, in  all  the  mission  fields,  about  seventy-three  thousand. 


288  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

commenced  the  building  of  New  Herrnhut.1  Like 
the  introduction  of  a  Moravian  gospel  to  the  fairer 
climes  of  the  tropics,  the  tale  of  the  first  missionary 
efforts,  in  Greenland  and  Labrador,  was  fearful  and 
discouraging  in  the  extreme;  and  it  was  not  until 
after  repeated  efforts,  the  arrival  of  other  Bre- 
thren, and  a  long  endurance  of  suffering,  priva- 
tion, toil,  and  disease,  that  a  foothold  was  gained. 
On  the  shores  of  this  winter- bound  and  desolate 
country,  four  stations  still  exist,  and  the  hardy 
Greenlander,  having  submitted  to  the  missionary's 
teachings,  becomes  a  consistent  disciple  of  the  glad 
tidings  of  the  gospel.  What  renders  the  work 
among  those  distant  and  bleak  countries  so  remark- 
able, is  the  fact  of  its  having  been  undertaken  and 
executed  by  two  or  three  individuals  at  a  time,  with 
little  pecuniary  aid.  These  men  resorted  to  manual 
labor  to  support  themselves,  and  by  their  own  exer- 
tions supplied  the  necessaries  of  life.  So  destitute 
were  they  of  all  the  materials  for  building,  that,  at 
Lichtenfels,  in  1758,  they  had  recourse  to  the  float- 
ing timber  of  wrecked  vessels,  which  were  occasion- 
ally washed  on  the  shore.  The  small  bark,  named 
the  "Harmony,"  braving  the  tempests  and  battling 
with  the  icebergs,  arrives  yearly  from  Europe,  and 
has  now  performed  its  eightieth  voyage.2 

1  Christian  David  made  two  subsequent  voyages  to  Green- 
land, and  erected  two  houses  there  with  his  own  hands. 

2  No  vessel  that  ever  crossed  the  ocean  has  had  a  more 
remarkable  history  than  this  little  messenger  of  peace,  which, 


.   THE    MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISE.  289 

But  here  the  picture  of  nature  is  in  striking  con- 
trast with  that  of  the  tropics,  where  we  find  the  first 
seat  of  the  Moravian  missions.     The  supplies  of  the 

though  consisting  of  different  structures,  has  borne  the  gene- 
ral name  of  the  "Harmony." 

The  first  ship  was  purchased  for  the  purposes  of  the  Labra- 
dor mission,  in  the  year  1770,  after  its  establishment  had  been 
decided  upon  at  the  Marienborn  Synod.  This  little  craft  was 
called  the  "Jersey  packet,"  and  was  a  mere  shallop  of  eighty 
tons  burden  ! 

A  small  company  of  ten  Brethren,  under  the  conduct  of 
Haven  and  Drachart,  arrived  in  Labrador  in  July,  and  hav- 
ing opened  a  friendly  correspondence  with  the  natives,  the 
Esquimaux,  returned  home  in  safety.  In  the  following  year, 
a  larger  vessel  was  purchased  in  London,  and  was  named  the 
"Amity."  Led  by  the  two  above-named  Brethren,  fourteen 
more  individuals  set  sail  in  it,  and,  after  a  dangerous  voyage, 
in  which  they  encountered  icebergs  and  fell  in  among  the 
rocky  coasts,  landed  in  Labrador,  and  founded  Xain.  After 
"Amity,"  several  other  vessels  were  made  use  of,  until  the 
present  brig,  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  tons,  was  erected  at 
Yarmouth,  under  the  superintendence  of  Captain  Taylor. 
It  is  built  with  a  prow  of  double  timbers,  and  provided  with 
an  ice-breaker,  in  order  to  resist  all  the  obstacles  of  the 
Northern  seas,  and  is  withal  a  good  sailer. 

Eighty-eight  years  have  elapsed  since  these  regular  voy- 
ages commenced,  and  in  all  that  time,  and  throughout  the 
adventurous  scenes  necessarily  encountered,  no  disaster  to 
ship  or  crew  has  ever  taken  place. 

In  1778  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  French  privateer,  but 
was  soon  after  set  at  liberty,  by  the  influence  of  Bishop  Hut- 
ton,  who  appealed  to  the  French  minister  of  marine  service. 
In  the  year  1803,  on  its  return  from'Labrador,  it  was  twice 
pursued  by  a  French  frigate,  but  the  darkness  of  the  night 


"J(.»0  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

needful  requirements  of  life  are  sparse  and  dearly 
bought.  For  only  four  months  in  the  year  does  sum- 
mer hold  its  feeble  sway,  and  the  little  grass  that  is 
gathered  for  hay  is  collected,  in  small  and  scattered 
patches,  on  the  mountain-side.  The  chase  is  the 
profession  of  the  Greenlander,  as  well  as  the  Esqui- 
maux, who  pursue  the  reindeer  on  the  hills,  and  lie 
in  wait  for  the  seal  by  the  sea-shore,  or  skim  along 
the  surface  of  the  wave  in  the  light  kayak,  or  boat 
of  skins.  Dreary  as  this  existence  may  seem  to  us, 
who  belong  to  a  latitude  which  is  especially  designed 
for  man,  the  missionary  continues  to  dwell  there  and 
pursue  the  work  that  first  attracted  him  thither. 
Among  those  ice-clad  hills,  and  from  the  lips  of  these 
dwarf  specimens  of  humanity  clothed  in  the  wild 
raiment  of  the  reindeer  and  seal,  the  Moravian  hymn 
may  be  heard,  and  the  same  tones  ascending  heaven- 
ward, that  issue  from  the  gladdened  hearts  of  the 
negroes  on  the  West  Indian  plantation.  Christmas 
and  Easter  are  here  solemnized  as  well  as  at  Bethle- 
hem and  Nazareth;  and  although  the  paraphernalia 
of  the  hemlock-wreath,  the  full-choir  music,  and  illu- 
minated inscriptions,  are  wanting  to  give  life  to  the 
scene,  yet  the  same  spiritual  motive  underlies  their 
cheerful  yet  simple  ceremonies. 

The  missionary  of  Okak,  on  the  coast  of  Labra- 

enabled  its  captain  to  escape.  The  remarkable  and  provi- 
dential preservation  of  the  little  ship,  during  nearly  a  whole 
century,  has  enabled  the  Brethren  to  keep  up  an  uninter- 
rupted communication  with  those  arctic  regions. 


THE   MISSIONARY   ENTERPRISE.  291 

dor,  living  upon  a  solitary  island,  situated  in  an  in- 
let, writes  that  he  has  endured  his  arctic  life  for 
twenty-five  years.  He  says  that  his  congregation, 
comprising  three  hundred  and  six  souls,  are  only 
found  at  home  during  autumn  and  winter,  the 
rest  of  their  time  being  employed  in  hunting  the 
seal  and  reindeer.  When  at  home,  they  have 
their  divine  service  and  school  every  day.  When 
the  bell  rings,  the  whole  village  is  seen  to  emerge 
from  their  huts  of  turf,  and  move  in.  long  lines 
to  church  and  school.  The  organ  is  played 
alternately  by  two  Esquimaux  Brethren,  and,  on 
festivals,  anthems  are  sung,  with  a  violin  and  flute 
accompaniment.  The  whole  worldly  fortune  of  these 
people  consists  in  the  reindeer  and  seal ;  if  the  chase 
has  been  fortunate,  they  are  in  the  possession  of  all 
they  desire,  and  spend  the  winter  at  home  amid  the 
rituals  and  hymns  of  Herrnhut.  When  they  disperse, 
throughout  the  summer,  in  quest  of  game,  wandering 
perhaps  two  hundred  miles,  on  their  dog-sleds,  beyond 
their  homes,  they  sometimes  escape  from  spiritual  life, 
and  the  missionary  finds  it  his  duty  to  recall  them  to 
his  fold,  whence  they  had  strayed  too  long. 

The  first  missionary  to  South  Africa  was  George 
Schmidt,  who,  in  1737,  landed  at  Cape  Town,  and 
settled  at  Bavianskloof,  in  the  interior  of  the  country. 
After  remaining  here  for  eight  years  he  was  obliged  to 
suspend  the  work,  through  the  opposition  of  the  Dutch 
clergy,  and  he  returned  to  Germany.  On  the  spot 
where  he  first  preached  to  the  Hottentots,  he  planted 


292      MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

a  pear-tree.  This  tree  grew  up,  and  in  1792,  fifty 
years  afterwards,  meetings  were  held  beneath  its 
shade.  The  venerable  Archivist  of  Herrnhut,  who 
takes  a  pleasure  in  producing  all  remarkable  reminis- 
cences of  missionary  life,  still  shows  the  identical 
pears,  gathered  from  Schmidt's  tree. 

After  this  long  interval  of  time,  three  mechan- 
ics departed  thither  on  the  errand  of  salvation, 
and  found  still  living  an  aged  Hottentot  woman, 
named  Magdalena,  who  had  been  baptized  by 
Schmidt,  and  who  received  them  with  some  vague 
sensations  of  joy.  On  being  questioned  as  to  her 
recollections  of  Schmidt,  she  could  recall  little  or 
nothing.  She  had  become  enfeebled  by  extreme  old 
age,  and  the  scenes  of  the  early  mission  had  passed 
from  her  memory.  She  could,  however,  bring  to 
mind  the  description  that  had  been  given  her  of  the 
suffering  Saviour,  who  had  died  for  her,  and,  after 
succeeding  interviews  with  the  new  missionaries,  she 
reawakened  within  herself  many  former  impressions. 
She  lived  eight  years  after  that  event,  once  more 
confirmed  in  her  Christian  faith. 

Among  the  North  American  Indians  the  mission- 
ary enterprise  has  met  with  less  marked  success. 
For  a  lon£  time  these  missions  were  maintained 'in 
Georgia,  among  the  Cherokees,  and  prosecuted  in 
their  new  homes  within  the  Indian  territories,  where 
they  are  yet  conducted  on  a  limited  scale. 

Another  ancient  scene  of  labor  is  the  Fairfield 
mission  in  Canada  West,  which  is  still  upheld,  with 


TIIE   MISSIONARY   ENTERPRISE.  293 

rather  feeble  results,  and  from  the  nomadic  character 
of  our  red  men  in  general,  no  abiding  influences  can 
be  expected  from  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  or 
success  on  a  large  scale  awaited. 

In  reviewing  the  whole  subject  of  the  missionary 
obligation  and  its  fulfillment  throughout  the  long 
course  of  its  past  history,  we  must  not  overlook  the 
remarkable  instances  of  self-sacrifice  exhibited  among 
these  early  martyrs,  in  enduring  a  separation  from 
their  children.  They  were  taken  from  their  arms 
at  ages  varying  from  three  to  eight  years,  and  sent 
to  the  German  and  American  boarding-schools  to  be 
educated,  and,  in  most  cases,  when  the  next  inter- 
view took  place  between  parent  and  child,  neither 
could  recognize  the  other. 

This  system,  unnatural  as  it  may  seem  to  us  of  a 
less  pure  and  an  egotistic  age,  when  self-sacrifice,  as 
enjoined  by  the  religion  of  Christ,  is  even  held  in 
disrepute,  indicates  the  high  purpose  of  the  old  Mo- 
ravian's aspirations.  A  sacrifice  that  can  overlook 
the  claims  of  kindred,  probably  the  strongest  ties 
that  exist  in  man,  tearing  away  self  from  those 
earthly  endearments  for  the  sake  of  communicating 
to  heathen  the  consolations  of  that  faith  which  they 
regarded  in  the  light  of  absolute  knowledge,  must 
be  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest  exhibitions  of  the 
people  whose  life  and  history  I  have  attempted  to 
describe. 

The  world  has  seen  its  crusades,  when  thousands 
have  gone  forth  on  the  mission  of  recovering  the 


294  MORAVIAN    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER. 

holy  tomb,  and  become  martyrs  to  a  romantic  and 
vain  pursuit,  with  no  end  in  view,  save  that  of  an 
empty  ambition  of  acquiring  a  worldly  renown.  But 
in  studying  the  memoirs  of  the  earlier  Moravian 
apostles,  we  shall  find  that,  although  a  seeming 
spirit  of  adventure  may  have  sent  them  forth,  yet 
a  serious  religious  purpose  supported  them  under  all 
difficulties,  and  that  when  once  engaged  in  the  work 

/  CO 

they  had  assumed,  they  devoted  themselves  sedu- 
lously to  it  to  the  last  moment  of  their  lives. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  the  Moravian  heathen 
mission,  there  might  be  numbered  Count  Zinzendorf 
himself,  who  left  the  courts  of  Europe  and  engaged  in 
the  task  of  introducing  Christianity  among  our  abo- 
riginal tribes,  where  we  have  seen  him  both  on  the 
West  Indian  plantations,  and  in  the  Indian  wigwams 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut,  sitting  face  to  face 
with  those  savages  whom  he  wished  to  make  his 
brethren. 

The  greatest  contrasts  of  climate  seem  no  ob- 
stacle to  the  missionary,  who  comes  and  goes  from 
one  extreme  point  of  the  habitable  earth  to  the 
other,  who  passes  from  excessive  heat  to  excessive 
cold,  from  the  tropics  to  the  arctic  regions,  un- 
der circumstances  of  mental  and  physical  endur- 
ance, such  as  are  seldom  found  on  record.  Of 
the  hosts  who  have  encountered  such  toils  and 
trials  many  have  died  at  their  posts,  victims  to  the 
climate  of  that  flowery  land  where  the  air  breathes, 
along  with  its  spices,  disease  and  death.      Others 


THE   MISSIONARY   ENTERPRISE.  295 

have  returned  to  their  native  country,  or  not  un- 
frequentlj  to  Bethlehem  and  Nazareth,  to  enjoy 
the  remnant  of  their  days  in  quiet  and  repose.  Here 
their  labor  of  life  is  ended,  and  binding  up  the  wounds 
it  has  inflicted,  and  soothing  them  with  the  solace 
of  that  benevolence  which  they  find  at  all  hands 
a  voluntary  offering,  they  await  the  final  call  to  the 
world  of  the  future,  the  visions  of  which  have  been 
prefigured  in  the  hymns  and  anthems  so  often  heard. 


26 


XVI. 

SOCIAL  AND  PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

From  the  peculiar  cultus,  the  festive  modes  of 
life,  and,  above  all,  the  rigid  regulations  in  reference 
to  age  and  sex,  which  governed  every  Moravian 
community,  we  may  look  for  marked  peculiarities  of 
social  and  personal  character. 

Human  love,  we  know,  with  all  its  joys  and  sor- 
rows, forms  one  of  the  great  pivots  of  society — 
giving  employment  to  its  hours,  food  for  its  thoughts, 
themes  for  its  poesy,  and  causes  for  its  tragedies ; 
raising  men  and  women  to  regions  of  bliss,  and  cast- 
ing them  down  into  the  abodes  of  torture  and  de- 
spair ;  being  the  beginning,  the  middle,  and  the  end 
of  the  individual's  career,  after  he  has  taken  his 
position  in  society,  and  we  may  therefore  reasonably 
inquire  how  that  same  human  passion  figured  in  the 
little  Moravian  village. 

In  more  primitive  times  during  the  momentous  epoch 

termed  courtship,  it  was  unusual  for  the  fair  lady  to 

have  seen  her  intended  spouse  even  a  single  time 

previous  to  the  betrothal,  and  all  the  preliminaries  of 

(296) 


SOCIAL  AND   PERSONAL   CHARACTERISTICS.      297 

an  event  on  which  the  heart  hangs  its  entire  destiny 
became  the  work  of  a  day.  Both  clergy  and  laity 
submitted  the  decision  of  their  connubial  choice  to 
the  lot,  evincing,  by  this  mode  of  procedure,  an 
entire  submission  to  the  will  of  the  Lord,  and  em- 
ploying this  touchstone  of  spiritual  faith  in  every 
important  and  decisive  step.  With  regard  to  the 
merit  of  this  singular  feature  of  Moravianism,  much 
discussion  has  arisen,  but  in  the  adoption  of  such  a 
pure  and  devotional  principle,  and  its  application  to 
the  ventures  of  life,  which  the  world  generally  regards 
as  under  the  control  of  an  unknown  fate,  we  discover 
evidences  of  a  high  order  of  Christianity.  It  was 
the  genius  of  Moravianism  to  submit  all  decisions  to 
a  supreme  will  and  direction,  and,  in  so  doing,  the 
lot  was  the  most  available  agent.  In  this  manner, 
self-sacrifice  was  an  offering,  and  as  the  passions 
gave  way  to  a  sense  of  duty  the  soul  hastened  for- 
ward in  the  paths  and  pursuits  of  Christian  hope. 

There  was,  however,  another  tribunal,  into  whose 
presence  the  important  question  had  to  be  brought 
before  an  espousal  could  be  ratified,  and  that  was 
the  Elders'  Conference.  The  sanction  of  this  body 
was  required  in  all  cases  of  proposal  between  the 
future  man  and  wife,  and  the  dread  suspense  that 
preceded  this  conference  formed  an  important  pas- 
sage in  the  history  of  love.  The  avenue  I  have  de- 
scribed as  leading  from  Herrnhut  to  Berthelsdorf, 
the  seat  of  the  conference,  was  a  path  of  sighs  to 


298     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

many  of  those  disconsolate  ones  who  returned  over 
it  homeward  with  a  negative  reply. 

Yet  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  these  matrimonial 
regulations  shut  out  from  the  Moravian  all  the  reci- 
procities of  the  sexes  that  are  wont  to  precede  an 
espousal.  The  loves  of  the  unmarried  had  many  an 
interesting  and  imaginative  episode,  and  passed 
through  the  various  crises  of  fear  and  hope,  disap- 
pointment and  realization,  that,  all  the  world  over, 
characterize  the  oft-told  story  of  the  tender  passion. 
As  long  as  humanity  lasts,  the  well-known  history 
of  human  loves  will  be  enacted  again  and  again,  and 
under  every  form  of  exterior  life,  the  same  senti- 
ments will  reveal  themselves. 

Under  the  old  Moravian  code,  in  cases  where  the 
affections  were  early  placed,  and  human  arbitrament 
was  deemed  sufficient,  the  decision  by  lot  was  often 
evaded.  In  such  cases,  the  romance  of  courtship 
usually  led  to  a  suspension  from  the  rights  and  pri- 
vileges of  the  particular  congregation  where  the 
infringing  parties  resided,  and  they  were  desired  to 
remove  without  its  pale,  and  were  no  longer  con- 
sidered members. 

To  rescue  these  tales  of  the  past,  evincing  the  all- 
conquering  power  of  mutual  love  and  affection  over 
the  ordinances  of  the  church,  is  not  my  province ; 
yet  I  refer  to  them  as  some  of  the  curious  reminis- 
cences of  an  age  of  simple  and  hardy  faith.  When 
the  maiden  Sister  in  those  times  was  an  inmate  of 
the  "Sisters'  House,"  access  to  her  presence  was  an 


SOCIAL  AND   PERSONAL   CHARACTERISTICS.      299 

insuperable  difficulty;  the  name  and  claims  of  her 
suitor  were  not  unfrequentlj  made  known  to  her,  and 
an  acceptance  or  refusal  decided  upon  after  some  sub- 
sequent interviews  at  home.  As  to  the  results  of  such 
unions,  many  were  fortunate  and  happy,  while,  on  the 
other  hand,  some  injudicious  espousals  never  yielded 
to  the  moulding  hand  of  time,  and  that  which  was 
uncongenial  in  our  nature  remained  so  until  death 
unlinked  the  chain.  Upon  the  whole,  however,  the 
Moravian  marriage  was  productive  of  the  average 
sum  of  good  that  characterizes  the  ordinary  tenor 
of  connubial  life,  and  it  can  scarcely  be  said  that 
the  singularity  of  form  in  the  choice  of  husband  and 
wife  led  to  more  unhappy  alliances,  than  we  see  in 
the  daily  drama  of  human  love  and  passion. 

In  this  aspect  of  modern  society,  the  springs  of 
misfortune  and  sorrow  generally  flow  from  the  disap- 
pointed ambitions  and  the  thwarted  purposes  of 
worldly  life,  the  jealousies,  the  hatreds  and  the  rival- 
ries of  false  pride,  and  the  worship  of  self.  In  the 
community,  which  I  here  present  to  the  reader, 
there  were  few  struggles  of  selfish  ambition,  and  as 
both  partners  were  pledged  to  one  spiritual  purpose, 
a  pure  and  holy  marriage  came  on  apace,  and,  long  ere 
the  close  of  a  well-spent  career,  ripened  into  a  more 
than  earthly  love.  In  our  view  of  society  at  large, 
we  shall  find  that  the  antecedents  of  marriage  are,  in 
but  few  cases,  an  earnest  of  continued  felicity  in  its 
subsequent  stages,  and  that  when  beauty,  fortune, 
and  impassioned  declarations  add  to  the  romance 
26* 


300  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

of  courtship,  they  in  most  instances  but  serve  to 
darken  the  shadows  that  fall  upon  the  scenes  of  a 
commonplace  existence,  after  reality  has  made  its 
revelations  of  the  weaknesses  that  mutually  exist. 
The  old  Moravian  courtship,  therefore,  detracted 
but  little  from  the  aggregate  of  a  happy  life,  and  we 
may  justly  regard  that  feature  as  in  perfect  keeping 
with  all  its  other  forms  of  pure  devotion  and  spiritual 
motive. 

As  regards  the  modeling  of  characters,  we  can 
look  for  few  finished  specimens  of  accomplishment, 
taking  the  word  in  its  usual  and  conventional 
force.  But  if  we  assume  a  chaste  Christian  tone 
and  modest  demeanor  as  the  highest  requisite 
of  womanly  and  manly  worth,  many  examples  can 
be  pointed  out  in  all  Moravian  circles.  This  tone 
we  find  to  be  a  result  of  those  influences  which 
point  directly  to  an  emotional  education.  High  in- 
tellect, wherever  it  exists,  being  brought  into  the  ser- 
vice of  the  heart,  all  the  gifts  of  mind  being  em- 
ployed as  the  mere  instruments  of  devotion,  the  life 
of  the  model  Moravian  retains  its  own  peculiar  cast. 
Its  modest  refinement  of  Christian  thought  could 
not  easily  be  entered  into  by  people  of  a  worldly 
intellectuality,  whose  natures  are  expanded  into  a 
wider  and  colder  philosophy,  who  worship  man,  as 
he  is  seen  every  day,  who  never  form  an  ideal  that 
ranks  above  some  showy  image  of  humanity,  or  who 
never  allow  that  ideal  to  go  beyond  the  reach  of 
mere  intellect.     In  Germany,  where  the  standard  of 


SOCIAL  AND   PERSONAL   CHARACTERISTICS.      301 

a  literary  and  musical  education  is  infinitely  higher 
than  here,  specimens  of  the  cultivated  woman  are 
more  frequent  than  among  us.  At  various  periods 
of  its  history,  Moravianism  was  embraced  by  noble 
families,  and  others  of  prominent  rank  in  European 
society,  the  descendants  of  whom  still  hold  to  the 
primitive  faith  and  institutions  of  Herrnhut,  and  use 
the  phraseology  of  Zinzendorf. 

In  addition  to  those  who  have  come  within  the 
scope  of  these  sketches,  there  have  been  handed  down 
to  us  the  names  of  many  remarkable  women  who  were 
exemplary  and  distinguished  in  their  day,  and  who, 
by  their  poetical  talents,  added  to  the  lyrics  of  the 
church.  The  cultus  of  the  Moravian,  as  already 
shown,  is  essentially  poetical,  and  its  exercise  can- 
not but  impart  a  bias  to  the  female  character,  which 
reflects  all  the  beauties  of  the  poetry  of  religion. 
The  imagery  of  such  a  Christian  creed  is  pure  and 
simple,  and  addresses  itself  with  distinctive  force  to 
the  sensibilities  of  the  female  heart,  and  we  may  not 
wonder,  therefore,  if  a  refined,  spiritual  impress, 
even  if  high  intellectual  culture  be  wanting,  should 
distinguish  the  portraiture  of  Moravian  women. 

It  may  be  worthy  of  mention,  as  one  of  the  curi- 
osities of  literature,  that  Goethe  formed  an  early  and 
Platonic  acquaintance  with  a  Moravian  Sister  of 
Herrnhut,  and  in  his  "Wilhelm  Meister"  furnishes 
a  synopsis  of  her  life  and  character,  in  the  ideal  he 
has  there  presented  under  the  "Confessions  of  a 
Beautiful  Soul."     At  the  period  when  he  was  drawn 


302  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND   CHARACTER. 

toward  Moravianism,  the  society  was  advanced  in 
form  and  thought,  and  attached  to  itself  many  intel- 
lectual minds.  In  the  idealistic  picture  alluded  to 
he  has  portrayed,  with  a  masterly  hand  and  with  the 
most  minute  touches  of  a  psychological  artist,  the 
inner  history  of  a  female  soul,  of  one  who  was  sup- 
posed to  be  gifted  with  all  the  delicate  perceptions 
of  a  refined  religion. 

In  the  "Confessions"  of  this  remarkable  being, 
she  acknowledges  the  Moravian  belief  and  cultus  as 
the  nearest  approach  to  her  own  preconceptions  and 
the  goal  of  that  true  sympathetic  feeling  she  had 
long  been  striving  after.  The  great  poet  subjects 
his  type  of  female  spiritual  beauty  to  a  wonderful 
analysis  of  self-examination  and  experience,  and  as 
she  is  allowed  to  narrate  her  own  mental  history,  she 
holds  up  to  view,  with  marvelous  distinctness,  every 
phase  in  the  gradation  from  a  worldly  and  a  common- 
place to  a  religious  felicity,  viewed  in  those  lights 
which  a  Moravian  cultus  imparts. 

The  countenance  itself  of  many  distinguished  per- 
sonages of  our  church  is  a  most  striking  interpre- 
ter of  the  ruling  characteristic  disposition,  and  in- 
ward intelligence  of  him  or  her  whom  it  represents. 
Thus  in  the  lineaments  of  Count  Zinzendorf,  Anna 
Nitschmann,  Christian  David,  Spangenberg,  Christian 
Renatus  von  Zinzendorf,  James  Hutton,  Heckewelder, 
and  in  the  large  gallery  of  Moravian  portraits,  we 
find  the  whole  sum  of  human  benignity  expressed, 
and  this  pictorial  exponent  tells  us,  as  well  as  their 


SOCIAL  AND   PERSONAL   CHARACTERISTICS.      303 

written  history,  that  their  mission  was  one  of  love  to 
mankind. 

The  simplicity  of  costume  common  to  those  days 
served  to  cast  in  still  stronger  light  the  pure  expres- 
sion of  the  outward  person.  The  dress  of  the  wo- 
men was  not  less  marked  for  its  simplicity  than  that 
of  the  men,  and  the  cap,  with  its  Choir  ribbon,  the 
simple  handkerchief  thrown  across  the  shoulders  and 
primly  drawn  together  in  front,  rendered  the  unpre- 
tending figure  as  morally  attractive  and  as  spiritually 
noble  as  can  be  found  among  the  ideal  images  which 
art  borrows  from  the  exaggerations  of  history  and 
poetry.  Although  the  type  of  the  "Sister"  in  at- 
tire, physiognomic  expression,  and  Moravian  feeling 
and  phraseology,  is  scarcely  to  be  found  among  us 
at  this  day,  yet  it  is  frequent  in  all  our  European 
communities,  and  but  little  modified  by  the  influences 
of  surrounding  society. 

In  forming  an  estimate  of  character,  as  exhibited 
among  the  people  of  these  communities,  we  must 
study  the  German-  temperament  itself,  from  which  its 
chief  elements  are  derived.  The  "  gemiithlichkeit " 
of  that  nation  is  found  to  address  us  in  all  the  pro- 
ductions of  art,  and  in  all  the  forms  of  religion.  The 
proper  rendering  of  this  term  is,  the  expression  of 
mind  educated  by  heart.  Both  in  man  and  woman 
do  we  see  the  significance  of  this  phrase.  It  admits 
access  from  one  individual  to  the  other  by  a  ready 
process,  and  once  drawn  to  him,  he  is  held  by  a  tena- 
cious grasp.  The  passion  of  the  Teutonic  race  pervades 


304:  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

all  the  manifestations  of  human  thought,  whether  it 
belong  to  fiction,  poetry,  painting,  the  love  of  music, 
or  the  externals  of  church  worship.  This  nation- 
ality of  temperament  is  carried  by  the  German  Mo- 
ravian to  his  adopted  country,  and  hence  we  find 
among  that  people  in  this  country  many  of  those 
peculiarities  and  amiabilities  of  social  character  which 
spring  out  of  the  old  Teutonic  nature. 

Our  relations  with  the  parent  country  are  becom- 
ing more  and  more  relaxed,  and  the  scions  of  Ame- 
rican growth  are  prone  to  throw  off  all  the  associa- 
tions of  German  extraction,  so  that  as  a  purely 
American  Moravianism  takes  the  place  of  the  Ger- 
man school  of  faith  and  manners,  much  is  lost  in  the 
essential  forms,  and  the  warmth  of  the  primitive  wor- 
ship is  largely  diminished.  I  will  not  pretend  to  say 
that  the  practices  of  Christian  worship  in  closest 
affinity  with  American  life  are  less  sincere,  or  that 
their  religion  is  less  true,  yet,  from  the  picture  hitherto 
presented  of  the  lively  and  cheerful  cultus  of  the  Mo- 
ravian, Christianity  comes  up  before  us  in  attitudes 
seldom,  if  ever,  elsewhere  presented. 

That  the  Moravian  mode  could  be  placed  before 
society  to  imitate,  we  know  is  entirely  impracticable, 
and  the  doubtfulness  of  such  an  application  becomes 
more  and  more  evident  as  the  age  develops  its  cha- 
racter for  luxury  and  externality.  Those  naive  en- 
joyments, which  were  interwoven  with  the  religious 
practices  of  the  Moravian,  necessarily  implied  a  for- 
bearance of  ostentation  and  a  "contentment  with  lit- 


SOCIAL  AND    PERSONAL   CHARACTERISTICS.      305 

tie."  Out  of  this  grade  of  human  life,  at  all  times  and 
among  all  people,  the  chief  sum  of  positive  religious 
feeling  proceeds,  and  the  moment  that  society  rises 
into  luxury  and  stern  conventional  forms,  that  ele- 
ment subsides.  In  other  words,  the  grade  of  social 
life  wherein  the  heart  rules  is  entitled  to  be  called 
the  model  life  of  humanity,  and  the  farther  we 
diverge  from  it,  the  farther  we  recede  from  the  true 
destiny  of  our  earthly  existence.  As  already  said, 
I  would  not  pretend  to  advocate  all  the  forms  of 
Moravian  life  at  this  advanced  period  of  society,  and 
in  what  it  supposes  itself  to  be,  a  high  state  of 
outward  refinement,  or  recommend  their  application 
to  the  religion  of  the  age ;  yet  many  things  which 
have  been  laid  aside,  as  the  useless  symbolism  of  a 
past  generation,  could  be  revived  to  beautify  our  wor- 
ship and  render  it  more  captivating  to  that  large 
number  who,  as  they  are  carried  down  the  tide  of 
time,  are  steadily  steering  out  of  the  way  of  its  in- 
fluences. 

Under  the  frequent  use  of  the  term  poetry,  as  ap- 
plied to  the  Moravian  worship,  I  do  not  wish  to  de- 
tract from  its  value  or  import;  since,  next  to  reli- 
gion itself,  nothing  on  earth  is  purer,  nor  can  the  soul 
be  more  readily  admitted  into  its  sacred  depths  than 
through  these  passages  from  an  outer  to  an  inner  life. 


XVII. 
WILLIAM  HEXRY  TAN  VLECK. 

Of  all  the  noted  men  and  women,  whose  names 
have  been  associated  with  the  events  and  identi- 
fied with  the  institutions  of  the  Moravian  Church, 
none  belonging  to  this  country  have,  as  yet,  come 
under  our  notice.  Nearly  all  the  personages  of 
those  early  times  were  emigrants  from  Europe, 
who,  in  carrying  out  the  great  task  assigned  them, 
had  to  compass  sea  and  land,  forsake  home  and 
kindred,  sacrifice  fortune  and  the  advantages  of 
birth  and  social  position.  To  their  posterity  they 
left  a  new  sphere  of  activity.  The  church,  which 
had  been  planted  and  nurtured  into  a  growth  of  fair 
proportions,  exhibiting  its  ripening  fruits,  was  to  be 
preserved  in  flourishing  beauty,  and  guarded  from 
internal  decay.  Among  the  many  eminent  divines 
who  have  thus  contributed  to  the  perpetuation  of 
Zinzendorfian  life  and  spirit  among  us,  no  one  more 
than  William  Henry  Van  Vleck,  deserves  to  be  held 
in  sacred  remembrance.  Born  in  Bethlehem,  in  1790, 
he  was  placed  at  the  usual  age  in  Nazareth  Hall,  where 
he  afterwards  entered  upon  a  course  of  theological 
(306) 


WILLIAM   HENRY   VAX   VLECK.  307 

study,  and,  upon  its  completion,  went  through  the  trials 
of  a  seven  years'  tutorship  in  that  ancient  seat  of  learn- 
ing. Residing  for  a  short  time  in  Bethlehem  as  the 
spiritual  adviser  of  the  Brethren  there,  he  was  next 
called  to  take  charge  of  the  Philadelphia  congrega- 
tion. Previous  to  assuming  this  responsibility,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Anna  Eliza  Kampman, 
who  still  survives  him.  Five  years  were  usefully 
spent  as  the  pastor  of  the  Philadelphia  church  of 
the  Moravians,  when  he  received  an  appointment  as 
Principal  or  Inspector  of  Nazareth  Hall.  On  his 
arrival  there,  he  found  the  school  in  a  somewhat 
feeble  condition,  but,  by  judicious  management  and 
personal  address,  he  succeeded,  after  a  year's  ad- 
ministration, in  resuscitating  it. 

His  next  field  of  ministration  was  New  York  City, 
where  he  resided  a  few  years,  and  then  receiving  epis- 
copal ordination  at  Bethlehem,  he  removed  to  Salem, 
North  Carolina,  in  order  to  officiate  as  pastor  there, 
and,  finally,  to  Bethlehem,  where  until  near  the  last 
days  of  his  life  he  exercised  the  functions  of  his 
sacred  office.  He  delivered  his  final  sermon  on  the 
16th  January,  1853,  and  expired  on  the  nineteenth 
of  the  same  month,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 

During  his  pastoral  career  in  Philadelphia,  he 
was  known  and  distinguished  for  that  remarkable 
simplicity  and  unobtrusive  demeanor  that  always 
marked  his  character,  and  made  him,  as  a  companion 
of  the  social  circle,  a  welcome  guest  wherever  he  went. 
The   species  of  Christian  blandness  found   in   him 

27 


308     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

was  its  own  peculiar  and  original  type,  adopting  no 
conventional  pattern,  but  aiming  at  the  one  great 
ideal  of  humanity, — man  walking  after  and  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  Christ.  His  discourse  in  the  pul- 
pit partook  of  that  soft,  winning,  and  persuasive 
eloquence  which  seeks  no  ad  captandum  arguments 
to  seize  upon  an  auditory,  but  secures  its  attention 
by  what  is  often  termed  a  magnetic  influence.  In  his 
language  he  borrowed  freely  from  Holy  Writ,  but 
rarely  to  such  an  extent  as  to  mar  the  propriety 
of  his  style.  He  lived  altogether  a  gospel  life,  and 
hence  was  ever  ready  to  quote  appropriate  passages. 
To  him  it  was  a  delightful  enjoyment  to  give  a 
scriptural  expression  to  all  his  views  of  surrounding 
existence,  or  add  to  its  whole  outer  surface  the  glori- 
ous imaginings  of  an  inner  one.  His  style  of  preach- 
ing was  of  the  order  termed  evangelical, — pure,  simple, 
and  scriptural. 

The  audience  of  a  modern  Christianity  looks  for 
polished  language,  imaginative  conception,  and  all  the 
accessories  of  rhetoric.  Its  attention  must  be  drawn 
by  intellectual  display,  and  to  secure  a  large  and 
popular  one,  the  preacher  must  call  in  the  aid  of 
much  thought,  and  that  thought  constantly  stripped 
of  its  old,  and  ever  putting  on  some  new  dress,  and 
gaining  some  new  exuberance.  But  in  the  themes 
of  our  Moravian  forefathers,  erudition  was  laid  aside, 
and  the  hearts  of  the  hearers  were  only  appealed 
to  and  approached  by  the  repetition  of  the  same 
language,  the  same  emotional  phraseology,  which 


WILLIAM   HENRY   VAN   VLECK.  309 

they  received  as  children  of  a  larger  growth,  and  thus 
was  constituted  the  true  and  only  Herrnhutian  church 
the  world  has  ever  seen. 

Our  American  Bishop  Van  Vleck  was  distinguished 
by  much  of  this  fervid  and  artless  eloquence,  although 
modified  by  the  language  in  which  he  generally  ad- 
dressed his  people,  and  adapting  itself  to  an  age  of 
new  things,  and  to  a  people  differing  from  those  of  the 
middle  of  the  last  century.  Yet  the  doctrine  of  the 
cross  underlay  all  this  new  exterior  of  modern 
thought,  and  the  poetry  which  he  frequently  applied, 
in  common  with  Zinzendorf  and  Spangenberg,  al- 
though emanating  from  a  different  school  of  compo- 
sition, flowed  from  the  same  fountain  of  inspiration. 
But  the  evangelical  discourse,  like  the  hymn  or 
the  melody  sung  from  infancy  to  old  age,  never 
tires  upon  an  audience  who  assemble  for  the  purpose 
of  listening  to  what  it  already  knows  and  has  heard. 
The  most  intellectual  teacher  of  our  time  will  become 
dull,  his  mental  riches  will  be  exhausted,  and  his 
audience  will  go  in  search  of  some  other  novelty; 
but  the  simple  Christian  discourse  always  remains 
fresh  when  the  hearers  to  whom  it  is  addressed  judge 
it  by  the  heart  and  not  by  the  understanding.1  If  the 

1  It  is  not  to  be  inferred  from  these  remarks  that  all  Mora- 
vian discourses  are  emanations  of  uneducated  and  merely 
emotional  minds.  Most  of  our  German,  and  not  a  few  among 
our  American  divines,  are  men  of  erudition  and  fine  classi- 
cal training  ;  yet  they  constantly  avoid  a  departure  into  the 
regions  of  polemics  or  the  discussions  of  every-day  life,  and 


310     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

occasion  seemed  to  chime  with  his  own  feelings,  the 
Bishop's  quiet,  soothing  pathos  and  his  simple  lan- 

they  rarely  contaminate  the  guileless  subject  of  the  cross 
with  that  irrelevant  combination  of  moral,  social,  and  political 
disquisition  at  which  modern  pulpit  oratory  aims,  and  which  is 
craved  by  an  audience  who  repair  to  the  place  of  worship  for 
the  purposes  of  an  intellectual  repast.  In  appropriating  the 
phrase,  Evangelical  preaching,  to  the  language,  thoughts, 
and  usual  vein  of  Moravian  discourse,  no  proper  conception 
of  its  peculiarity  will  be  afforded. 

The  subject  of  the  present  sketch  was  remarkable  for  his 
powers  of  familiar  exhortation  ;  and  on  the  eve  of  his  depart- 
ure from  Herrnhut,  he  delivered  to  the  Widows'  Choir  one 
of  the  most  pleasing,  impressive,  and  simple  addresses  that 
had  ever  been  listened  to.  In  his  calm  and  quiet  way,  and  in 
the  garb  of  an  unadorned  language,  the  speaker  is  here  seen 
to  descend,  like  Zinzendorf  in  his  communications  with  chil- 
dren, to  the  condition  of  human  feelings  nearest  to  nature- ; 
Christ  becomes  an  invisible  member  of  the  spiritually-minded 
company,  and  participates  in  all  its  individual  thoughts 
and  desires.  This  is,  therefore,  not  merely  an  evangelical 
mode  of  inculcation,  but  it  might  more  properly  be  termed  the 
Zinzendorfian  form  of  evangelical  discourse. 

Among  a  number  of  cotemporaries  of  Bishop  Yan  Yleck, 
I  might  name  Lewis  D.  de  Schweinitz,  a  descendant  of  Count 
Zinzendorf,  as  a  man  of  great  oratorical  ability,  and  as  fluent 
a  master  of  words  in  prose  as  his  ancestor  was  in  poetical 
improvisation.  He  was  equally  at  home  in  the  German  and 
the  English  tongues,  giving  utterance  to  all  the  impulses  of  the 
older  school  of  Moravianism  in  the  style  of  thought  that  cha- 
racterized the  German  mind  in  contradistinction  to  that  of  the 
American.  His  profusion  of  gospel  language  and  illustra- 
tion drew  toward  him  the  admiration  and  esteem  of  his 
friend  and  companion  Yan  Yleck,  who  not  only  studied  him 


WILLIAM   HENRY   VAN   VLECK.  311 

guage,  were  beautiful  in  the  extreme,  and  in  one  of 
those  solemn  Moravian  funerals,  which  I  have  had 
occasion  to  describe,  his  address  always  commanded 
the  profound  attention  and  moved  the  sensibilities  of 
his  hearers.  For  that  which  is  usually  termed  pulpit 
oratory,  he  was,  perhaps,  nowhere  more  distinguished 
than  when  he  resided  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  flou- 
rished in  the  first  stage  of  his  clerical  career,  and 
was  vigorous,  and,  at  times,  animated.  His  congre- 
gation was  appreciative  and  much  endeared  to  him. 

as  a  model  of  eloquence,  but  loved  him  for  the  deep  earnest- 
ness and  sincerity  of  his  nature.  In  the  capacity  of  preacher, 
theRev.Mr.de  Schweinitz  was  chiefly  known  within  the  limits 
of  the  Brethren's  society,  but  as  a  naturalist  in  the  department 
of  Flora,  his  name  stood  second  to  no  other  in  the  whole  world 
of  science. 

At  the  same  time,  and  in  the  same  clerical  circle  at  Beth- 
lehem, lived  Bishop  Anders.  He  was  a  man  of  rare  classi- 
cal endowments,  cultivated  musical  taste  and  ability,  and 
conspicuous  for  his  well-digested  composition  and  powers  of 
true  eloquence  in  the  pulpit.  It  may  be  added,  in  reference 
to  the  character  of  all  these  men,  and  particularly  the  details 
of  familiar  intercourse  among  the  German  Brethren,  from 
Zinzendorf  himself  down  to  this  time,  that  geniality,  candor, 
good  humor,  confidence,  and  affection,  were  always  depicted 
in  the  action,  tone,  and  language  of  the  group  of  friends. 
The  Brethren,  after  long  absence,  always  embraced  and  kissed 
each  other,  and  the  custom  is  upheld  to  this  day  among  a 
portion  of  the  elder  Moravians.  These  characteristics,  a  re- 
flection of  the  Christianity  which  was  brought  hither  from 
Lusatia,  impart  a  rich  glow  to  the  retrospect  of  Moravian 
life,  and  much  of  it  can  yet  be  seen  wherever  old  influences 
are  in  operation. 

27* 


312     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

In  his  later  years,  at  Bethlehem,  he  preserved 
all  the  characteristics  of  his  early  eloquence,  but 
it  was  more  subdued,  and  his  tone  and  language 
pointed  to  the  sunset  of  life.  His  head  now  was 
gray,  his  features,  never  fair,  bespoke  the  venerable 
bishop,  and  addressed  you  by  the  medium  of  that 
spirituality  that  always  atones  for  the  absence  of 
physical  beauty. 

Owing  to  his  singleness  of  purpose  in  evangelical 
pursuits,  William  Henry  Van  Vleck  lived  a  steady 
and  equable  life.  He  was  never  flattered,  nor  was 
the  purity  of  his  faith  weakened  by  an  overweening 
popularity,  yet  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  was 
great,  and,  what  can  scarcely  ever  be  said  of  a  man 
of  note,  his  enemies,  if  he  had  any,  were  few. 
From  the  fineness  of  his  organization  proceeded 
that  tenderness,  forbearance,  and  deference  in  dis- 
cussion which  led  him,  as  far  as  was  consistent  with 
personal  judgment,  to  enter  into  the  views  of  others 
by  omitting  self.  And  although  subject  to  the  ordi- 
nary infirmities  of  man,  these  were  rarely  seen  to 
blemish  the  pure  Christian  model  he  presented  to  the 
world.  To  gain  love,  he  accommodated  himself  to 
all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  such  was  the 
perfection  of  this  "Disciple,"  that  although  he  pos- 
sessed a  keen  sense  of  the  ridiculous,  he  showed  no 
disposition  to  ridicule  any  of  his  fellow-men;  for, 
with  him,  the  faculty  which  is  apt  to  give  rise  to  the 
burlesque,  was  wont,  in  his  gayer  moments,  to  find 
its  application  in  the  heart,  and  instead  of  calling 


WILLIAM    HENRY   VAN    VLECK.  •  313 

forth  derision,  excited  sympathy.  When  he  looked 
upon  nature,  its  beauty  received  a  spiritual  interpre- 
tation, and  that  which  constitutes  the  material  element 
in  its  groupings  and  forms,  became  to  him  a  thing  of 
heaven,  a  typical  loveliness.  "When  he  looked  over 
the  landscape  and  saw  the  country  chapel  standing 
there,  he  would  say  that  it  made  the  wilderness 
"bloom  and  blossom  as  the  rose."  All  the  grandeur 
and  sublimity  of  the  natural  world,  with  him,  re- 
treated from  mind  and  imagination  back  to  the  heart, 
and  became  a  matter  of  adoration.  He  knew  Art 
and  felt  her  influences,  and  practiced  in  her  temple; 
but  even  there  he  made  a  sacred  application  of  all  he 
learned,  and  drew  consolation  therefrom  for  his  soul's 
nutriment. 

If  we  were  to  institute  a  comparison  between  the 
two  remarkable  men  whose  lives  we  have  reviewed, 
and  our  own  remarkable  Van  Yleck.  there  mi^ht  be 
found  some  striking  points  of  resemblance. 

In  those  two  Germans,  vigorous  and  sanguine  teru- 
peraments  imparted  buoyancy  to  thought,  and  lighted 
up  with  cheerfulness  all  the  phases  of  their  apostolic 
career.  Our  American  bishop  was  of  an  opposite  tem- 
perament, and  mostly  cheered  himself,  after  undue 
exertion,  by  rallying  his  powers  and  striving  for  a 
mastery  over  the  despondency  of  a  physically  weak 
nature.  Yet  from  this  sensitive  organization  sprung 
many  of  those  elements  of  character  we  find  in 
Zinzendorf  and  Spangenberg.  Being  nurtured  in 
the  German  language  equally  with  the  English,  his 


314  MORAVIAN   LIFE   AND    CHARACTER. 

Moravianism  was  as  essentially  German  as  theirs, 
and  as  it  formed  a  part  of  his  family  education  to 
think  in  the  phraseology  of  Herrnhut,  all  his  feel- 
ings and  associations  partook  of  the  old  German 
Moravian  nature.  He  was  so  well  fitted  to  address 
a  German  audience  by  this  medium,  that,  in  his  visit 
to  Herrnhut  in  1848,  when  he  held  a  discourse  there 
in  the  venerable  church,  he  was  listened  to  with  in- 
tense admiration.  His  words,  as  they  fell  from  his 
lips,  were  taken  down  by  reporters  and  published 
next  day,  and  many  met  him  in  the  streets  and 
thanked  him  for  his  delightful  precepts. 

Like  those  eminent  Germans,  he  was  always  at 
prayer,  and  that  which  forms  the  greatest  riddle  to 
the  philosopher,  to  discover  why  and  how  man  should 
seek  a  power  without  his  own  mind,  was  to  him  a 
problem  long  and  clearly  solved.  His  communion, 
night  and  day,  was  with  the  Saviour,  and  all  the 
terms  of  Zinzendorf  and  all  the  hymns  he  sung  were 
at  his  command,  and  were  the  source  of  his  highest 
enjoyment.  Although  his  voyage  of  life  was  more 
serene  than  that  of  the  illustrious  founders  of  the 
modern  church,  yet  his  activity  in  his  own  sphere 
was  equally  great.  The  mission  of  their  lives  was 
to  organize  and  originate,  to  govern,  lead,  and  direct 
the  people  under  their  charge.  Our  own  Van  Vleck 
was  born  in  a  time  when  the  whole  institution  had 
been  tested  and  had  lived  ahd  grown  venerable 
through  a  century's   trials   and  vicissitudes.      His 


WILLIAM    HENRY   VAN   VLECK.  315 

endeavors,  therefore,  were  directed  to  conservative 
ends,  and  to  an  adherence  to  the  past  in  its  forms, 
its  rituals,  and  simplicity  of  life. 

Of  all  the  personages  of  the  Church  of  the  Mo- 
ravian Brethren,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  one  so 
specially  distinguished  by  that  Christian  gentleness 
that  seemed  to  be  attained  by  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Upon  his  visit  to  Herrnhut,  in  1848, 
his  fame  had  preceded  him,  and  he  was  known 
and  held  in  esteem  there  long  before  he  had  been 
welcomed  by  its  people.  Neither  is  it  easy  to  copy 
such  men  as  have  been  formed  in  the  mould  of 
William  Henry  Van  Vleck,  since  his  type  of  Chris- 
tian beauty  is  extremely  rare,  and  those  forms  of 
humanity  that  are  fashioned  after  Christ  are  so 
marred  by  passions,  so  given  to  the  conventionalities 
of  a  false  standard  of  society,  so  led  astray  by  the 
impulses  of  self,  or  so  inflated  by  egotism,  that  a  per- 
fect model  is  vainly  sought  for.  When  man  ap- 
proaches nearest  to  all  the  Christian  requirements, 
he  is  regarded  as  a  wonder,  as  living  above  the  ordi- 
nary atmosphere  of  human  weakness  and  imbecility, 
and  if  he  pursues  a  consistent  career,  with  no  gross 
errors  to  sully  his  history,  he  passes  off  from  the 
stage  of  the  living  with  a  canonized  reputation. 

In  the  performance  of  his  obsequies,  the  cere- 
monies which  distinguish  every  Moravian  funeral 
were  observed,  and  he  was  carried  to  his  place  of 
earthly  repose  over  the  path  that  leads  from  the 


316     MORAVIAN  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 

Bethlehem  Church  to  its  cemetery,  amid  the  notes 
of  the  dirge  and  the  silent  sympathy  of  a  large  body 
of  friends,  who,  in  the  discharge  of  those  last  duties, 
performed  to  the  many  good  who  had  preceded  him, 
afterwards  met  in  the  hall  of  worship  to  crown  the 
ceremony  in  the  exercise  of  that  melancholy  joy,  a 
Love-Feast. 


THE   END. 


ERRATA. 


Page    25,  line  22. 


«      31, 

1    22.       * 

"      45, 

<    13.     A 

"      85, 

<    26.     Ft 

"      88, 

'    25.       ■ 

"      89, 

<    28.       ■ 

"    102, 

4      4. 

"    111, 

■    25.       ■ 

«    118, 

'    19.       ■ 

"    165, 

'    27.       ' 

"    180, 

'    15.       ' 

"    185,    ' 

■      2.       « 

"    196, 

♦    28.       ' 

"    219, 

«      1.       ' 

"    219, 

■    13,       ■ 

For  Wittemberg  read  Wittenberg. 

tile-stone  read  tile-stove. 
After  Christianity  insert  of  labor. 

music  read  muse. 

adopted  read  adapted. 

Schrauterbach  read  Schrautenbach. 

Halleasians  read  Hallensians. 

South  Carolina  read  North  Carolina. 

1768  read  1760. 

Great  Sabbath  read  Good  Friday. 

practical  read  poetical. 

cause  read  course. 

youthful  amateurs  read  early  amateurs. 

lived  read  live. 

large  read  small. 


